Princess of Miracles
by Starian NightZz
Summary: Kuroko Tamaki is the Sixth Player of Teiko basketball team. What will happen when she joins Seirin High's basketball team, and how can she help them along with battling her own inner demons? Fem!Kuroko/Aomine. Overprotective Gen!Miracles
1. They've Changed

_Summary:_

_Tamaki is the Sixth Player of Teiko basketball team. What will happen when she joins Seirin High's basketball team, and how can she help them along with battling her own inner demons? Fem!Kuroko/Aomine. Overprotective Gen!Miracles_

So it seems like I've been reading a lot of Kuroko no Basuke stories lately, and it gives me the urge to start one myself. I was playing around with a few ideas – with one such as how we'd never seen Kuroko's family before, and they'd never even been mentioned. I was thinking of writing one where Kuroko was a victim of domestic violence, and when the Seirin team and the Generation of Miracles found out, they decided to step in. But after reading a few stories involving a gender swap Kuroko, I decided to write one myself.

Tamaki is a female Kuroko's name in this story. I originally wanted to use 'Tsubaki', but it sounds a little off to me, hence I scrapped the idea. It probably won't stick so close to canon, but it will still stay rather similar. There will also be various flashbacks of Tamaki's time in Teiko, as in canon, Kuroko's past in Teiko is still rather unknown, except for the parts regarding his past with Aomine and Kise.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter One: They've Changed**

_The Teiko Middle School basketball club._

_An incredibly strong team with over a hundred members and three consecutive championship wins. Amongst their brilliant record, the generation of five prodigies was known as the 'Generation of Miracles' – a generation of five players possessing a talent that one would only see once in ten years._

_However, there was a strange rumour concerning the Generation of Miracles._

_Despite being relatively unknown and lacking a game record, there was one more member recognised by the five prodigies, and whom they acknowledged as a better player._

_A Phantom Sixth Player._

**XXXXXX**

"But damn, I didn't expect for Tamaki to be hiding such an ability." Koganei Shinji commented as he stepped out of the gym with the other juniors (second years), even as the coach Aida Riko locked up the gym behind them. "No wonder she's called the phantom sixth player."

The basketball team's captain, Hyuuga Junpei, pushed the glasses that he was wearing up his nose. "I've heard rumours of the phantom sixth player of Teiko when I was still in middle school, but I didn't think that it's true," he commented. He then grinned. "Well, they'll be reliable enough as allies – Tamaki and Kagami."

That day was the first ever official practice of Seirin High's basketball club.

The 'practice' held by Riko after the recruitment drive on the first day of the new school year didn't really count, as it is more like an ice-breaker kind of thing when the juniors and freshmen get to know each other, and also for the student coach to see the players' potential.

Riko was startled nearly out of her skin that day when a girl with light blue hair that just reaches a little past her shoulders had appeared from out of nowhere in front of her, introducing herself as Kuroko Tamaki, the player that Riko had eagerly been waiting for, seeing as how she had came from the legendary Teiko basketball team, and being a girl to boot.

Teiko Middle School's basketball team had quite a reputation, even among the high school circle.

They've first started out as a normal middle school basketball team three years ago, though clinching the top spot during the Nationals. After that, going against them only seemed to get tougher. Second year had them flattening every single opposing team that went against them, with Teiko getting double or even triple the amount of points that the opposing team had clinched against them. By the time third year rolled about, there isn't a single middle school team out there that had the guts to challenge them or even dream of getting the top spot at the Nationals. The best that they could hope for is only runner up.

Hence, when the petite-looking and skinny girl had introduced herself as Kuroko Tamaki, Riko had her doubts. How can such a weak-looking and skinny girl who looked almost as if she would be blown over by a strong wind be a member of the legendary Generation of Miracles – the famous group that is responsible for Teiko clinching three consecutive victories at the Nationals?

They soon learnt why in that day's practice when Riko suddenly decided to pitch the freshmen against the juniors in a match. And they also soon learnt why Tamaki, a girl, is allowed to join an _all boys' team,_ and is also known as the sixth player of the Generation of Miracles.

From the start, Tamaki is already difficult to notice, since she can easily disappear if one isn't looking hard enough. She merely uses that ability to her advantage during matches by circulating passes by using her misdirection ability – a magic-like technique to fool the senses of her opponents.

"But is it even legal for a girl to join an all-boys' basketball team?" Izuki Shun wondered. "Let alone participating in matches?"

"About that, I'd checked that rule up after learning that Tamaki-chan had joined our basketball team." Riko explained, turning around to face her boys after slipping the keys into her pocket. "There is no rule that actually forbids girls from playing with the boys. Most girls just never do, as they preferred cheering the boys on from the sidelines."

"I see…" Hyuuga nodded. "But she's an oddball, isn't she? Not like other girls at all."

The other guys grinned at him.

Tamaki had walked into the changing room after having a word with Riko after training that day, alarming the rest of the boys who were in various states of undress at that time, and all of them tried to cover themselves up. Tamaki, as clueless as ever, simply took out her school uniform from her locker and walked back out, leaving several of the boys gaping at her like goldfish.

"Well, she'll make things interesting at least." Izuki smiled.

**XXXXXX**

In Maji's, the fast food outlet that Kagami frequents after basketball practice found said red haired giant twitching as he had somehow ended up at Tamaki's table _again _without even realising it, thus causing him to swallow his burger the wrong way.

"Where'd you come from?" Kagami demanded. "And what are you doing?"

The girl blinked at him with clear blue eyes. "I was sitting here right from the start," she explained before holding up the disposal cup that she is holding. "And I like this place's vanilla shakes."

"Go somewhere else."

"I don't want to." Tamaki said so matter-of-factly that caused Kagami to twitch.

"If someone sees us here, they'll think that we're friends!" Kagami hissed, lowering his voice, almost as if afraid that someone from their school would overhear him and recognise them.

"This is my usual hangout."

Kagami sighed, giving up. Wordlessly, he then picked out a burger from the pile that he had on his tray and threw one over to Tamaki who caught it easily. "I dislike weak guys who suck at basketball," he muttered. "But you've earned yourself one of those." He grinned. "Furthermore, you're too skinny. You need to eat more if you hope to get stronger."

Tamaki smiled, the first expression change that Kagami had seen for the first time from the smaller girl, and he blinked, taken aback at how much just one smile can change her appearance.

"Thanks."

The rest of their dinner went by in relative silence, and after Kagami had finished his pile of burgers that surprisingly didn't take too long, seeing how he had stuffed his cheeks like a squirrel, and with the fact that Kagami could easily out eat a starving killer whale, the two then left, with Kagami offering to walk Tamaki home.

The tall redhead might be a brute, and he might be named _Taiga _(tiger), but he is still brought up properly with the right values instilled in him from a young age. He isn't about to let a girl walk home alone this late at night. What if something had happened to her?

"It's not really needed, but if you insist…" Tamaki said without changing her expression, something that annoyed Kagami. Can't she show a little more expression on her face like other girls?

The two then walked in silence along the streets before Kagami spoke up. "Just how strong is the Generation of Miracles?" he asked curiously. "If I played them now, how would I do?"

"You'd be destroyed instantly." Tamaki stated bluntly, and Kagami twitched.

"Do you have to put it like that?"

"The five prodigies have each gone on to play for their own schools. One of those schools will stand at the top without a doubt."

Kagami grinned with excitement at that, laughing like a maniac, causing several people to give him strange looks. "That's great," he said, grinning. "That's the kind of thing that lights a fire in me." He grinned, fire burning in his eyes. "I've decided! I'll crush all of them and become Japan's best player."

Tamaki looked at him weirdly, still sipping from her drink straw. "I don't think that's possible," she told Kagami bluntly, causing several imaginary boulders to fall on his head.

"_Hey!" _Kagami shouted, upset at her lack of trust in his ability.

Tamaki sighed before looking at him seriously. "If you have hidden talent, I wouldn't know," she said. "But what from what I've seen, you wouldn't even reach their feet. At your current level, if you go up against them now, you'll only be slaughtered by them. It's impossible…alone…" She trailed off slowly before turning to face Kagami. "I've also decided. I'm a shadow. But the stronger the light, the darker the shadow, and the more it accentuates the brightness of the light. I will be the shadow to your light and make you the best player in Japan."

Kagami looked surprised for a moment before he grinned. "Look who's talking," he grinned. "Do whatever you want."

Tamaki smiled. "I will do my best."

* * *

"I'm home." Tamaki called out as she returned home, only to receive no answer. She sighed. "Of course. Who would answer?" She muttered as she removed her shoes and entered the apartment, taking a quick glance at the two portraits on the altar.

The blue haired girl dropped her school bag onto a chair and pulled out her pyjamas from her wardrobe, heading into the bathroom to have her shower. Twenty minutes later, she soon emerged from it, rubbing her hair dry, even as her cellphone rang.

Quirking a brow, Tamaki picked up her cellphone only to see the display name of 'Akashi Seijuro' flashing on the LCD screen. She sighed before she answered the call. "What is it, Sei?"

"_What, I can't call to check up on you, Tama?" _Her cousin asked, sounding almost like he's grinning.

"Uh huh." Tamaki muttered disbelievingly. "Sei, you and I both know that you wouldn't just call me for 'checking up on me'. What. Do. You. Want?"

Her cousin sighed on the other end of the line. _"Are you really sure that you don't want to transfer to Rakuzan, Touou, Kaijou or Shutoku even?" _he asked blandly, and Tamaki nearly groaned.

Yep. It's the usual once-a-month call from her cousin regarding _this _matter. And honestly, it is getting a little old. If truth be told though, Tamaki can't really blame him for it. _She _was the one who had disappeared suddenly after the finals of the National tournament, and had hid from the members of the Generation of Miracles whenever they came looking for her – something not very difficult for her since she's difficult to notice from the start anyway. She never told her cousin or even Aomine which high school she's attending until the acceptance papers had arrived.

That had likely ruined the friendship that she had with Aomine, though that 'friendship' had been slowly drifting apart anyway ever since the start of their third year. She was lucky that her relationship with her cousin wasn't affected in the least, though that could be because Sei kept his basketball and personal life separate.

Tamaki had often wondered if her cousin is bipolar, with the way that he acts sometimes…

"No thank you." Tamaki told her cousin bluntly, sitting at the edge of her bed and towelling her hair dry with the soft fluffy towel around her shoulders. "I've told you that at least a hundred times."

There was a sigh over the phone. _"Tamaki." _He sounded serious, and Tamaki knew that he is _entirely _serious since he's using her full name, and not the childhood pet name that he always calls her by ever since they're kids. _"I'm serious here. I want to know that you're safe if I couldn't be there. At the very least, if you're with Ryota, Shintaro, or even Daiki, I know at least that they will take care of you. I'm worried about you!" _Tamaki did not change her facial expression, instead choosing to rub at a spot on her left wrist. _"You just hadn't been the same ever since…" _Sei trailed off, and he sighed. _"I can't change your mind, can I?"_

"No." Tamaki told him bluntly. "Seirin…is a good school." She told her cousin. "They have that potential…to grow even stronger."

Her cousin was silent for several moments. _"Let's make a bet, Tama," _said Sei, sounding serious. _"If you can manage to at least bring Seirin to the Winter Cup and be the victor, I'll leave you be. But if Rakuzan or any of the other schools beat Seirin before then, I want you to transfer to one of the schools that one of the others are attending."_

"Sei!"

"_I'm serious, Tamaki." _Sei growled. _"I don't think that Seirin is the right school for you. They aren't the right one to bring out your full potential."_

"What does it matter anyway?" Tamaki asked. "It's not like I can ever play basketball the way I used to anyway…" She rubbed unconsciously at her left wrist.

There was silence.

"_He'll pay for that, Tama." _Her cousin suddenly sounded extremely threatening and dangerous. More like the feared captain of the legendary Teiko basketball club that he was known as during their last two years of middle school. _"I won't let him get away with it. And if any of the others play him again, they'll destroy him."_

Tamaki sighed. She knew that the Generation of Miracles all had some weird policy regarding her, most likely from her overprotective cousin. Akashi Seijuro only ever reacts violently when three things happen: one, when someone disobeys him; two, when his team loses a match (that happens rarely, if never); and three, when someone hurts her.

"I have to go." Tamaki said, ending the call quickly and falling back onto the bed, staring up at the ceiling. She rolled over on her side, rubbing at her left wrist where a white surgical scar was clearly visible on it, hence why she always wore a wristband around her left wrist.

The blue haired girl closed her eyes, relieving a memory that she wished that she had forgotten…

"_NO!"_

"_TAMAKI!"_

"_Hanamiya! You bastard!"_

…_voices… Just voices…_

_Where is this?_

"…_the wrist bones in her left hand are completely shattered. I'm afraid…that she may never play basketball again."_

Tamaki screwed her eyes shut, trying to block out the memories…

"…_I can't play anymore…"_

"_That's not true. There is still another way that you can play."_

"…_Tamaki. I don't want to see you give up."_

"…_Aomine-kun…"_

**XXXXXX**

Kagami Taiga looked ready to murder someone as he chewed on his burger angrily in Maji's, thinking back to that morning's events.

He had panicked when he learned from the team captain last week that the freshmen couldn't play in matches, as they aren't official members _yet. _Thus, Kagami had gone straight to the coach to demand for a club application form, only to be told to bring it to the rooftop on Monday at 08:40am.

As it turns out, the basketball club had some weird tradition of having their would be regulars shout out their names, class number and their goals at the top of the rooftop. And if they can't achieve their goals, they have to confess to a girl butt naked.

The discipline master of the school had barged onto the rooftop just as Tamaki was about to do her turn, with Tamaki armed with a megaphone that she had taken from out of nowhere because, "I'm not good at speaking too loudly." As a result, all the freshmen on the rooftop, along with their coach, got an entire day's detention along with a long lecture from an irate teacher.

"I can't believe he got so mad over a little shouting." Kagami grumbled whilst chewing his burger and drinking from his milk shake at the same time.

"I didn't even finish, and I got in trouble too." Tamaki commented, causing the poor redhead to choke on his burger upon realising that Tamaki is in front of him _again._

"You again?" Kagami spluttered after managing to make his burger go down the right way. "Should I start going somewhere else?" He muttered to himself.

"We aren't allowed on the roof anymore." Tamaki said, sipping from her straw. "What will we do if we can't join the basketball team?"

Kagami smirked. "That's not gonna happen," he said confidently. Tamaki made a noise of acknowledgement, and Kagami then blinked, as he recalled just what he had wanted to ask Tamaki that day when he had ran into her in front of the library, having came across a newspaper clipping about Seirin's basketball team the year before. But the girl had disappeared before he could even open his mouth, and he had then completely forgotten just what he wanted to ask her. "By the way, why didn't you go to some big name school like the other five guys? You were good enough to be known as the phantom sixth player, right? Despite being a girl. Is there some reason that you play basketball?"

Tamaki said nothing for several moments as she sipped from her straw. Kagami watched her closely, hanging onto her every word and action. "My middle school's team only had one core principle," she begun. "'Winning is everything'. Instead of teamwork, we needed to push the individual talents of the Generation of Miracles to win. Nothing could beat us, but we weren't a team. The five of them approved, but I felt that we lacked something important."

"So, what?" Kagami asked. "Are you gonna beat the Generation of Miracles your own way?"

"That's what I was thinking."

"Seriously?"

Tamaki took another sip from her drink as Kagami watched her. "But your words and the coach's words reminded me of something," she continued. "They reminded me of just why we…why I played basketball. Right now, I just want to bring this team to the top, and make them the best in Japan."

Kagami looked surprised before he grinned. "Damn straight. We're gonna _be _the best," he stated, and Tamaki smiled.

"Right."

There was silence between the two for several moments before Kagami spoke up once more. "What changed?" he asked silently.

"Huh?"

"Just now," said Kagami, looking at Tamaki. "You said that the coach's words, and my words reminded you of just why you played basketball. What changed before that?"

Tamaki was silent for several moments. "The Generation of Miracles wasn't always as strong and well-known as they were now," she begun. "They started out as any normal basketball team. They played that sport because they loved it." _'Well, I can't say the same for Murasakibara-kun.' _"I started playing basketball because I loved this game too. All of them started evolving during our second year, and crushed every team that came our way. We were…unbeatable."

"I don't understand." Kagami frowned. "So they grew strong. What's the problem?"

Tamaki said nothing. "It isn't something that you can understand from my words alone. It is something that you'll understand only if you were there too," she said. "Slowly, _they _changed. _He _changed." Tamaki's voice shook. "It came to such a point that I truly _detested _basketball." Kagami blinked in surprise. "The sound of the balls… The sounds of sneakers squeaking on the courts… The swishes of the net… I really hate all of that." Tamaki admitted. "And by the time that we're in our third year, I can honestly say that no one on Teiko loves playing basketball anymore." She stood up from her seat, her hands shaking slightly, but Kagami didn't notice it. _"They _changed. But more importantly of all, _he _changed the most." Tamaki whispered, not wanting to continue anymore, and left Maji's, leaving Kagami alone with his confused thoughts.

* * *

_A/N: How's this for a start? It's my first time writing a Kuroko no Basuke fanfic, so please do go easy on me! I realise that I'm probably making Akashi and maybe Kuroko a little too out of character, but hey, this is **fanfiction.** I can make Akashi dress in a pink tutu and dance the Macarena if I want to._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please do read and review! Reviews gives me motivation to update!_

_**Upcoming Stories:**_

_**Broken Glass (Kuroko no Basuke)**_

_To be a shadow means to be unnoticeable. But how can one **not **be noticeable, especially after the entire Seirin team discovered that their team's shadow is a victim of domestic abuse? Friendship fic._

_**Spirit Hunter (Naruto)**_

_After the ninja nations were destroyed, Kami decided to send Namikaze Hikari, Nara Shikamaru and Hyuuga Neji to a time in the future with a new mission in hand: prevent the Akatsuki's revival. But the three were now granted some new abilities: shaman abilities, and Hikari is now the cousin of one Asakura Yoh._

_**Ruler of Hueco Mundo (Naruto)**_

_It isn't something that is widely known, but only among the inhabitants of Hueco Mundo, the Hollows. Hueco Mundo had a ruler. Three of them, in fact. And when Aizen Sousuke's plans for Hueco Mundo and the world reach their ears, they are not pleased. Be careful, Aizen. You've just pissed off the three strongest Hollows in all of Hueco Mundo. FemNaru_

_**Death's Second Chance**_

_Fate sure loves fucking with one Namikaze Riiyu, it seems like. She doesn't even know if she should hate herself or Kami for sending her back through time into the body of an Uchiha girl, sent to guide Uchiha Sasuke off the path of darkness and to stop the war from ever occurring. Genma/FemNaru_

_**Era of Darkness (Naruto)**_

_Akatsuki moved 16 years early, and took over the entire shinobi world, with Uchiha Madara at the helm of it all. In a world without freedom and in a time of darkness, a group of ninjas that were the few survivors fought to reclaim back their world. Extreme AU. Pairing undecided_

_**Rising Birth (Naruto)**_

_During Nurarihyon's fight with Hagorome-Gitsune, he ran into an old enemy of the kitsune, someone that had lived ever since the start of the world, a certain Namikaze Yuuki. Naruto/Nurarihyon crossover. FemNaru/Itaku_

_**Into the Ashes (Naruto)**_

_After having the wizarding world turn on her like it did after the war, Hilda Potter fled, and in desperation, used a forbidden power that she swore to never use only to be sent on an even bigger task. A task that is even greater than Voldemort himself. HP/Tsubasa crossover. Fye/Hilda_

_**I Fall For You (Uraboku)**_

_What if Yuki is reborn as a girl in this life? And what if she is much more quiet and soft-spoken than expected? After a trauma that had sealed her voice shut, she gains unexpected help in the form of Zweilt Guardians, and will she open her heart to a certain Opast? Luka/Yuki_

_**My Little Angel (07-Ghost)**_

_FemTeito. Verloren's angel was slain by the 7 Ghosts when the daughter of the King of Heaven wanted the angel out of the way. Mad with grief, Verloren slain Eve, and both master and angel were then banished to Earth for eternal reincarnation until the end of time. Now 1000 years later, both master and angel met each other again…in the Barsburg Military Academy._

_**Demon Princess (Ao no Exorcist)**_

_FemRin. What if Satan had taken Rin with him the night that Yuri had died, leaving Yukio behind in Assiah? Now years later, both twins met each other again at True Cross Academy, unaware of their relationship with each other._


	2. First of the Generation of Miracles!

So welcome back to yet another chapter of _Princess of Miracles._

You guys are awesome for all those reviews and favourites that I've gotten, along with all the story alerts! I wasn't expecting much of a response, as this fandom is still pretty new. So I got a pleasant surprise when I opened my email the next morning and found email after email. Your reviews made me the happiest person on earth, so thanks!

To answer a few questions here that I should have answered…

_Chris3169512: _Well, I _did _state that it is AU, did I not? And seeing how the other two _only _gender swap stories that I've read – _Our Treasure _and _Sukihime no Basuke, _seems pretty similar, and almost followed the canon plot to a T, I want to do something different. I'm not insulting those stories in any way, in fact, I kind of like them. It's just that I don't really like writing stories that follow canon _too _closely.

_About Yosen: _I got a few reviewers asking me this question. I got a few reasons for Akashi _not _mentioning Yosen. The first is the location. I have no idea where Yosen is located, but wikia states that it's in Akita, wherever that is. Tamaki's house is in _Tokyo. _Even Akashi doesn't wish to force his cousin to travel a goddamn long distance just to get to school. The second reason is that from what I know of Murasakibara's personality, he is the type to do something only when someone _tells _him to. I seriously doubt that Akashi will feel reassured enough to leave Tamaki with him if that's the case…

_Akashi and Tamaki's relationship: _I admit that I got the idea for making Akashi and Tamaki cousins from reading a fic entitled _Blood is Thicker than Water. _Sorry, _Dreams of the future, _I probably should have told your kid sis about it first. (Apparently, _A Natsume Yuujinchou Lover _got the impression that Akashi and male Kuroko are cousins. Her reasoning is that their hairstyles look similar during their Teiko days. Check out chapter 124 of the manga, page 14 to see what I mean). Anyway, I always did like Akashi, though I don't think that he's boyfriend material for my Tamaki in this story (who is already traumatised enough from rough plays, thanks to Hanamiya). Thus, I made him Tamaki's cousin.

_About Murasakibara and Akashi: _Yeah, I am bringing _all _of the Generation of Miracles in _way _earlier than canon, particularly Akashi _and _Aomine! Hello, pairing is with him? Can you imagine his first appearance in a story, and three paragraphs later, he and Tamaki are going at it? No way, man. I like going through character development _before _establishing their relationship. If you are a fan of some of my earlier works, you might have noticed that I don't like rushing into pairings. Also, on a side note, Kiyoshi will be coming in way earlier too.

_About Tamaki's injury: _Yeah, I established that in the first chapter, didn't I? That sometime during her time in Teiko, Hanamiya shattered her left wrist, and she can no longer play basketball the way that she used to. Everything will be explained, don't worry!

Anyway, I think that that is enough explanations, so on with the story!

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Two: First of the Generation of Miracles!**

"_The only one who can beat me, is me alone." - Aomine Daiki_

**XXXXXX**

The next morning just after dawn had broken can find one Kagami Taiga practicing his shots by himself at a public basketball court that the nearby middle schoolers and some high schoolers uses for street basketball.

The redhead couldn't seem to wipe the grin off his face as he recalled the conversation that he had with Tamaki a few days ago about the Generation of Miracles – just after the practice match held in which everyone on the Seirin team had then discovered Tamaki's hidden ability.

"_Just how strong is the Generation of Miracles?" Kagami asked Tamaki curiously. "If I played them now, how would I do?"_

"_You'd be destroyed instantly." Tamaki stated bluntly, and Kagami twitched._

The ball went into the net easily.

"_The five prodigies have each gone on to play for their own schools. One of those schools will stand at the top without a doubt."_

"_I've decided. I'll crush all of them and become Japan's best player."_

The ball bounced against the rim before going into the net.

"_I've also decided." Tamaki said simply, looking at Kagami straight in the eye, one hand clutching at a disposal drink cup. "I will be the shadow to your light and make you the best player in Japan."_

Kagami grinned like an idiot even as he straightened his form to take a shot. _'Oh man, I'm so excited that I can't sit still. I don't care if it's an unofficial match. I just wanna play them!'_

The ball went in.

**XXXXXX**

The last bell had just gone for the day, signalling the end of the school day. And as usual, the basketball team were all gathered in the changing room, changing out of their school uniforms into more appropriate attire. Tamaki was merely sitting on one of the benches in a corner, waiting for the boys to finish changing patiently, reading a book, with the earphones of her iPod in her ears.

By now, the boys were kind of used to being half-naked around her, though it had freaked some of them out in the beginning (Hyuuga and Koganei), especially when Tamaki had walked into the changing room one practice when they were all in various states of undress without even batting an eyelid.

Most girls would either blush or faint at the sight, but not Tamaki. To the blue haired girl's credit however, she at least avert her eyes away from them, proving that she at least had _some _decency. Hyuuga privately thought that Tamaki might have been used to having boys in various states of undress around her by now, seeing how she had been part of the Generation of Miracles back in middle school.

Koganei who had finished changing first spotted a magazine lying on the bench, with it being an issue of _Monthly Basketball Magazine._

"Huh?" Koganei picked up the magazine even as the other guys finished changing. "Didn't this issue come out when Tamaki was in Teiko?"

Hyuuga stepped up next to Koganei and flipped through the pages of the magazine. "All the players were featured." He noted. "Tamaki…" Hyuuga frowned as he leafed through the pages. "…doesn't have an article."

"Even though you're the sixth player?" Koganei asked, looking over at Tamaki who had looked up the moment that they've said her name. "Didn't they come to interview you?"

Tamaki said nothing for several moments as she tugged her earphones out of her ears. "Someone came," she said, but she said nothing more than that.

"And?" Koganei asked her as Tamaki didn't elaborate more on the issue.

Tamaki gave a small sigh as she looked up at the three juniors – Izuki, Hyuuga and Koganei. "It was after an…incident had happened at Teiko," she said slowly, rubbing at her left wrist, despite it being covered by a black wristband. "The reporter that came was pretty aggressive, and the other guys didn't like how he kept following me around. Let's just say that they took care of that issue."

'_Poor guy!' _The three juniors thought in unison, feeling sorry for the poor reporter.

"And besides, I'm nothing like the other five." Tamaki continued. "Because they're true prodigies."

Fukuda Hiroshi, one of the three other freshmen that had joined the basketball team alongside Kagami and Tamaki burst into the changing room just then. "She's back! The coach is back!" he said. "We're gonna play a practice match."

"I wonder who we're playing?" Hyuuga wondered.

"I have no idea…" Fukuda mused. "But she was skipping for some reason though."

Hyuuga paled instantly. "She was _skipping?" _he nearly screeched in horror, his voice going two octaves higher than usual. "Be careful, everyone…" He warned, looking around at all the faces currently present in the changing room, and Tamaki looked on curiously. "If she's skipping, our next opponent's gonna be real tough."

**XXXXXX**

"I know, Akashi-cchi." A cheerful blonde said, his cellphone pressed to one ear even as he paused in front of Seirin High's school gates. "Oh? Is this it?" He took a glance at the sign of the school. "Yep. Looks like it." He then turned his attention back to the caller on the other end of the line. "Don't worry so much. I'll check up on Tamacchi for you."

He then ended the call, slipping his cellphone back into his pocket. The blonde had on a gray blazer over his white school uniform, with a dark brown tie tied loosely around it – a contrast as compared to Seirin High's black vest and trousers for the boys, with a white collared shirt beneath.

"So this is Seirin?" he wondered, looking at the pristine clean school. "New and pristine, just like I expected." The blonde then grinned, walking into the school, seemingly unaware of the adoring looks and love struck eyes that the many Seirin girls were giving him.

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki gave a small sigh as she listened to her teammates 'awing' over Kagami's new move that he'd performed on Izuki who had attempted to block the redhead from scoring earlier. She brushed a lock of hair out of her forehead even as she thought about the conversation that she had with her new partner that night.

"_From what I've seen, you wouldn't even reach their feet." Tamaki told Kagami bluntly._

"That's what I said, but…" Tamaki mused, sneaking a look at her companion who looked irritated.

"Alright, everyone! Gather around!" Riko ran into the court just then, a look of excitement on her face, even as the team assembled themselves around their coach. "I've managed to get us a practice match against Kaijo High School next week!" She beamed, and clouds and flowers almost appeared around her head.

Unfortunately, not all of the team shared the same enthusiasm that their coach does.

Hyuuga's face was one of horror. "A practice game against _Kaijo High School?"_ he almost croaked.

"That's right. They won't disappoint us." Riko said cheerfully. "We'll put plenty of first years on the court."

"Disappoint us?" Koganei said carefully, unsure if Riko was being sarcastic or not. "They're way better than us."

"Are they really that good?" Kawahara Koichi, another freshman, wondered.

"They're a school of National level." Hyuuga answered. "They participate in the Inter High every year."

"And this year, Kaijo got their hands on one of the Generation of Miracles, Kise Ryota." Riko announced, sending a wave of shock throughout the entire team but Tamaki who already knew just _which _Miracle it is, and Kagami who is eagerly anticipating a match with a member of that famous group.

In fact, Tamaki glanced over at the redhead, Kagami is now grinning in a way that kind of reminds her of a tiger that had just seen his meal. This is ironic in itself, as Kagami's first name already almost sounds like one – _Taiga _(tiger).

"Apparently, Kise works as a model." Hyuuga informed his teammates.

"Are you serious?" Izuki asked.

"Good looking and good at basketball?" Koganei sighed. "That's brutal."

Riko sighed, thinking of her team as idiots. Muttering near the gym's doors caught her attention just then, and she turned only to see a long line of blushing and giggling girls which must make up more than half of Seirin High's female population.

"Huh?" Riko blinked in confusion. "Why? What are all these people doing here?" She spluttered, finally seeing a blonde male who is clearly _not _a student in their school being surrounded by all the girls, looking rather sheepish and embarrassed.

"Uh, I didn't mean for this to happen." The blonde muttered in embarrassment, even as he signed autograph after autograph.

The Seirin basketball team was silenced immediately as they recognised the blonde stranger. A member of the team that they're about to play against in a practice match in a week's time, and also a former member of the famed Generation of Miracles – Kise Ryota.

Kise looked up in the midst of signing another autograph just then, and made eye contact with Tamaki. The blue haired girl nodded to him politely. "It's been awhile."

The blonde smiled. "Long time no see," he said cheerfully, even as the rest of the Seirin team turned their attention towards Tamaki. The blue haired girl had just confirmed any doubts that they might have. The blonde standing in front of them is definitely one of the Generation of Miracles, and one of Tamaki's former teammates back at Teiko.

Kise looked sheepish even as another autograph book was pushed into his hands. "I'm really sorry about this. Um…" He trailed off, even as he scratched the back of his head. "Do you think that you could wait five minutes?" He asked, even as he went back to signing autographs.

The entire Seirin team sweat dropped as they looked at the _long line _of girls all waiting for Kise to sign their autograph books. It looks as if it might take _more _than five minutes for him to finish with his fans.

Tamaki, on the other hand, sighed.

Unfortunately, this is a rather common occurrence back at Teiko even _before _Kise had debuted as a model back in their third year. Her cousin was actually so annoyed with all the disturbances before and during training from Kise's countless fan girls that he had to actually get the Student Council to station two student councillors at the entrance of the gym just so that the basketball team can actually get to practice.

And not to mention that a certain ace of the Generation of Miracles just can't stop drooling at blonde babes with big boobs…

Ten minutes later, when Kise was finally done signing autographs, and the gym was empty of all but the basketball team and Kise himself, the blonde leapt down from the bleachers, landing lightly on his feet, his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Wh-What are you doing here?" Hyuuga spluttered.

He was _not _expecting for a member of the Generation of Miracles to just appear in their school like this. The glasses wearing Seirin captain had only seen the famous group only once – during his freshman year of high school when the high school section and the middle school section Inter High basketball tournaments were held in neighbouring halls. And even then, he had only seen them from a distance, and they'd already seemed intimidating to him, despite the fact that he is _a year their senior!_

The blonde grinned as he made his way over to the basketball team. "Well, when I heard our next opponent was Seirin, I remembered that Tamacchi went here, so I thought that I'd come and say hi." He grinned. "Plus, I miss our little Hime here so much!" He gave Tamaki a light hug.

Tamaki gave a small smile at him. "It's good to see you," she said.

Meanwhile, behind the regulars of Seirin High's basketball team, the three freshmen were poring over the same magazine that the juniors were poring over earlier in the changing room.

"Kise Ryota." Furihata Koki read from the magazine aloud. "Though he started basketball his second year of middle school, his exceptional physical ability and sense got him on the Teiko team as a regular in a heartbeat. While he has less experience than the other four, he's a rapidly improving all-rounder."

"Since your second year?" Hyuuga spluttered in disbelief. _'He's only been playing for TWO YEARS?' _

Kise grinned sheepishly. "Well, the article exaggerated a bit." He grinned. "I'm glad to be called part of the Generation of Miracles, but I'm the worst of the bunch. I was picked on quite often, but Tamacchi would always stop them." He explained while scratching the back of his head, smiling at Tamaki who smiled back at him.

The entire Seirin team stared at Tamaki. _'Just what kind of spell did she put them under?' _they wondered.

Kise's eyes shot opened just then as a basketball came flying towards his and Tamaki's direction. The blonde quickly blocked the ball with his bare hand, catching it in the process. "Ow! What was that for?" Kise turned angry eyes towards the redhead who had thrown the ball at him. "And you almost hurt Tamacchi!" _'THIS kind of player is in Seirin? I can see now why Akashi-cchi is worried!'_

"Sorry for interrupting your little reunion." Kagami grinned viciously, oblivious to the fact that he had already pissed off a certain member of the Generation of the Miracles. "But don't tell me that you came all the way here just to greet us? Why don't you play with me for a bit, pretty boy?"

"What?" Kise stared at Kagami as if he was an alien. "I don't know if I'm ready. But I'm just…" He mused, glancing at Kagami before he grinned. "Fine, let's do it. And I have to thank you for that display." He threw the basketball that Kagami had thrown at him earlier towards the redhead who caught it easily. The blonde then removed his blazer and tie, also rolling up his shirt sleeves.

"Unbelievable…" Riko sighed to herself in dismay.

"This might be bad." Tamaki stated from next to the brunette, startling the girl, and also confusing the rest of her team.

Back on the court, Kise and Kagami were having a one-on-one duel between themselves, a hint of a smirk on Kise's lips. Without warning, the blonde then took off past Kagami, with the redhead struggling to keep up. Kagami's eyes then widened in shock when Kise performed a move that he had performed on Izuki just moments ago.

"He learns plays as soon as he sees them and makes them his own." Tamaki explained even as Kise dodged Kagami's blocking, and dunked the ball into the net, thus causing Kagami to fall.

'_You can't call something of that level an imitation!' _Riko thought, staring at Kise as if seeing him for the first time. _'He perfectly made it his own!'_

Kawahara stared on in awe. "This…is the Generation of Miracles," he muttered. "Tamaki, your friend's way too good."

"I don't know that person." Tamaki replied, confusing the lot of them, but she didn't bother with a reply. _'I got careless! I might have just been underestimating the lot of them until now. It's only been a few months since I've seen them, but the Generation of Miracles has improved far more quickly than I had expected.'_

Kise sighed in disappointment, rubbing the back of his head. "I don't know about this," he mused, and Kagami looked up at him in confusion, still on the ground. "After something so disappointing, I can't just leave now." He turned and walked towards the remainders of Seirin's basketball team. "Give us Tamacchi." He received a chorus of 'huh?' from Seirin. "Come join us." Kise grinned at Tamaki who sighed inwardly. She just _knew _that someone had put the blonde up to this. This had her cousin's name written all over it! "Let's play basketball again."

The reaction from the rest of Seirin was expected.

"WHAT?"

Riko's screech was easily the loudest, nearly deafening Hyuuga who was right next to her.

"I'm serious, Tamacchi!" Kise insisted, ignoring the rest of Seirin. "I really respect you. It's a waste of your talent to stay here. What do you say?"

Tamaki stared at Kise in silence for several moments, and the rest of Seirin stared at her with bated breaths. The blue haired girl sighed. "Did Sei put you up to this?" she asked tiredly.

Everyone stared blankly. Who in the name of kami-sama is Sei?

"Well, he's worried about you, sure, but all of us are, especially after what had happened." Kise admitted. If it's even possible, Seirin got even more confused. "But even if he didn't, I would have asked the same thing too." He insisted. "I miss you! And besides, Seirin can't use you and your talent to it's full potential. You're just wasting your time here. Come to Kaijo with me." He pleaded. "What do you say?"

Silence.

Finally, Tamaki sighed. "I am honoured to hear you say that," she started. "But I must respectfully decline your offer."

Kise blinked in confusion. "That doesn't make any sense!" he protested. "Besides, this isn't like you. Winning was everything. Why didn't you go somewhere better?"

Tamaki said nothing for several moments. _Winning was everything. _That had been the mantra of Teiko. Not just in basketball, but in _everything. _And if truth be told, she is tired of hearing it.

"My thinking has changed since then," she said. "More importantly, I made a promise to Kagami-kun. A promise to defeat the Generation of Miracles."

"It really isn't like you to joke around like that," said Kise, not believing what he is actually hearing from Tamaki. The Tamaki in the past would never say something like that.

There was a low chuckle from behind the blonde just then, and he turned around only to see Kagami laughing like an escapee from a mental institute, apparently having gotten over his shock at seeing Kise use a move that he had just used moments ago.

'_So this is the Generation of Miracles.' _Kagami thought, grinning to himself ferociously. _'They really are amazing! And there are four more guys stronger than him.' _He thought, recalling Kise's words that he is the weakest of the Generation of Miracles. _'I can't help but smile.'_

"What are you doing?" Kagami grinned at Tamaki. "I was gonna say that, Tamaki."

Kise looked between Kagami and Tamaki in confusion.

"The fact that I still have no sense of humour hasn't changed in the least since middle school." Tamaki told Kise. "I'm serious."

Kise smirked, finally understanding the reasoning behind Tamaki's actions.

"…I see."

**XXXXXX**

It is near evening, and the sun is already starting to show signs of sinking down into the horizon.

And yet, on the rooftop of Touou High School can find a certain slumbering freshman with tanned skin and dark blue hair so blue that one can only wonder if he had dyed it. A vibration from his front blazer pocket woke him up from his nap just then, and Aomine Daiki growled as he grabbed his cellphone only to see that it's a message from Kise.

_Tamacchi is attending Seirin High. And it looks like she's found a new 'light'. Why don't you go and see her to see how she's doing? After all, the incident back then has a large part to do with you._

Aomine almost winced at the last sentence in Kise's message.

It is true in a way. It might have been Hanamiya Makoto who had shattered Tamaki's left wrist, but in a way, it has to do with him as well.

That 'incident' had been back in second year when Teiko was playing in the Winter Cup, having been the winner of their district for the Inter High. They had been playing against some school that Aomine can't remember the name of now, but Hanamiya had been playing for that team. Satsuki had even warned the entire team ahead of time that despite his name 'Hanamiya Makoto' (flowery truth), the guy is a sadistic bastard.

They soon learnt what Satsuki had meant during that play when the team had resorted to rough plays and fouls to attain points. That might work against any normal team, but for a team like Teiko, that wouldn't work so well. Until Hanamiya had decided to target Aomine, Teiko's ace at that time. Aomine and the rest of Teiko's regulars hadn't seen Hanamiya's 'attack' coming, but Tamaki did.

Tamaki who had always been unusually perceptive, and had an observation ability that even puts Satsuki to shame. Before anyone even realises what is going on, Tamaki had taken the blow meant for Aomine when Hanamiya had used his elbow in an attempt to injure Aomine. Tamaki's left wrist was shattered during that incident, though Teiko had won the game, though obviously, they were all fired up with anger, and had thrashed the team even worse than they had originally intended.

Akashi's reaction was scarier than anyone had expected, especially after the doctor had told them that Hanamiya had destroyed Tamaki's left hand, damaging the tendons and nerves in her hand – effectively destroying any chance of her ever using her left hand ever again. Even just using that hand to lift heavy things is impossible, since Tamaki can no longer use strength in her left hand.

Aomine had remembered that Tamaki had cried her eyes out at that time after realising that she can no longer play basketball, making all of the Generation of Miracles panicked, with not a single one of them knowing how to calm down a crying girl. It was also after that incident when Akashi had taught Tamaki the basics of the misdirection style that she uses now, and the blue haired girl had then taken it from there, mastering the usage of her right hand in order to do so.

Aomine sighed. He still remembered how furious Akashi had been after he realised that Hanamiya had effectively crippled his cousin. Teiko's captain might have a feared reputation, being rather intimidating, and being a bit of a bastard at times, but everyone in Teiko knew that if you hurt his family, Akashi would let you see hell. And the redhead had a bit of a soft spot for Tamaki who had been like a little sister to him, since they grew up together. Though the fact that they are cousins are only known to the members of the Generation of Miracles.

Kise had been so confused before he had became a regular, not understanding just why it is that the captain of the team is so overly friendly with the only girl on the team.

Aomine stared up at the darkening skies above him, recalling that Tamaki actually has to use a brace on her left hand for an entire year after that, even during matches, it being strict doctor's orders.

Aomine then frowned as he remembered the conversation that a furious Akashi had with the rest of the team after he had learnt that Hanamiya had destroyed Tamaki's left hand.

"_I'm going to kill that bastard." Kise seethed in pure anger. No one had seen the blonde so angry before. Though the fact that he had been **right next **to Tamaki during that match might have to do with it._

"_And get Teiko suspended from the Nationals?" Midorima asked sternly, for once missing his usual lucky item of the day in his hand. "Think using your brains for once, Kise."_

"_He shouldn't be allowed to get away with it." Aomine seethed. "Everyone at the courts saw what he did! Can't the Sports Association ban him from tournaments or something?"_

"_We all knew what Hanamiya is capable of even before facing him." Midorima told Aomine. "Every team that he had ever played against had that team's ace being out of commission for a few months at least. Yet no one had ever been able to get enough evidence to prove that it's him. The witness accounts from the players aren't enough." He added, seeing Aomine about to open his mouth._

"_Aren't you angry on Tamacchi's behalf, Midorimacchi?" Kise seethed, seeming angry that Midorima doesn't seem to be angry at all._

"_Of course I am, but you and Aomine both are already angry enough for all of us, so I thought that someone should at least keep a cool head." Midorima said tiredly, using his left hand to push his glasses up his nose._

_Aomine then noticed that Midorima hasn't taped his fingers at all ever since the entire Teiko team had left the tournament courts in a rush to get to the hospital where the coach had taken Tamaki. He must have been worried too, since this is the first time that he had actually seen Midorima off the courts without his fingers being taped._

"_He'll pay for it." Akashi's voice is low and dark, and he sounded furious. **Extremely **furious._

"_Aka-chin?" Murasakibara voiced out, all of them turning towards their captain who is sitting on the steps of the street basketball court where they were all at._

_Akashi looked furious as well, if the look in his eyes is of any indication, and he looked ready to kill. "Hanamiya Makoto had better pray that he don't meet me in a dark alley at night." Akashi growled. "He'll **pay **for what he did to Tamaki."_

"_Damn right." Aomine snorted._

"_If we ever get matched up against him again, **destroy him." **Akashi growled. "Destroy him utterly – spirit and will, and even body. Destroy him in the worse way possible – him and his team."_

Aomine sighed. It wasn't long after that before Tamaki was back as a regular, though playing with an entirely different style than before. It had taken him some time to get used to it, and that was when the whole 'light and shadow' thing had begun. The Generation of the Miracles had then sworn to themselves that they would all protect Tamaki, and they would not allow anyone to hurt her ever again.

But then… She had left after the last Nationals…

Aomine frowned to himself before his phone vibrated again, and he saw that it's another message from Kise.

_Besides, I know that you miss her, and I'm pretty sure that she misses you too. You hurt her when you neglected her like you did in third year. Make up with her. Tamacchi won't stay angry with you for long._

Aomine stared at the message, blinking blearily.

"Well… It _is _on my way home, so I might as well drop in on her…" Aomine mumbled to himself, ignoring the very small sarcastic voice at the back of his mind that told him that his house is in the _opposite direction_ of where Tamaki lives and works.

* * *

"Finally we can close up!" The manager of the florist shop – a man in his late fifties sighed. "Tamaki-chan, can you close everything up? I have to deliver a bouquet to a customer who had asked for a late night delivery." He held up an enormous rose bouquet.

Tamaki who is wearing a dark blue apron over her clothes nodded. "Sure," she replied. "I'll close up everything."

"See you tomorrow then." The manager smiled a soft smile at the girl as he removed his apron. "Take care on your way home."

Tamaki nodded before going back to her stock take of the flowers currently in front of her. She had been at this job ever since her second year of middle school, especially since it's about her only source of income especially after her parents have passed away during middle school.

Her aunt – her father's younger sister, didn't like how Tamaki had to juggle both school and work at the same time, and had actually offered to give her a larger allowance, since she's handling Tamaki's inheritance at the moment until she turns eighteen. But Tamaki had refused, not wanting to take advantage of her aunt's kindness, especially since she knew that her aunt is going through some divorce proceedings at that time, and also managing her restaurant and also raising her only son, Tamaki's cousin, all at the same time.

As far as Tamaki was aware, Sei helps out in the restaurant whenever he could as well, so as to ease up on his mother's workload.

"Is there supposed to be twenty stalks of roses left?" Tamaki frowned to herself, studying her clipboard and the rose stalks currently in front of her. "I could have sworn that we should only have about fifteen left…"

There was a bell chime just then in the florist shop – the sound always made when a customer enters the shop.

"My apologies, but we're closed for the night—" Tamaki turned towards the door only to find her voice caught in her throat, as she saw just who is standing at the entrance.

Aomine Daiki raised a hand, giving a slight wave.

"Yo."

Tamaki gave a small strained smile. "…Aomine-kun."

**XXXXXX**

'_Well… This is awkward.' _Aomine thought to himself uncomfortably as he walked along the familiar stretch of road that Tamaki always took after work to go home. He had always waited outside the shop for her when Tamaki has to work back in middle school, with the two often stopping for a meal before Aomine walks Tamaki home.

They often have endless things to talk about; or at least, Aomine is the one doing all the talking, with Tamaki giving some input every now and then.

But now, there is literally no conversation at all between them. And with the silence of the streets right now, it creates an extremely awkward and gloomy atmosphere.

Aomine looked down at the shorter and smaller girl walking next to him, looking ahead of her. The taller male glanced down at her left wrist only to see a black wristband around it. His lips quirked. After Tamaki had her brace taken off, she didn't like having people stare at the scar on her wrist like it's something fascinating, and Aomine had given her a black wristband to wear around it.

The fact that she is actually still wearing it gives him some hope…

"Is…your hand okay?" Aomine asked awkwardly, only to hit himself on the head mentally as he saw Tamaki stiffen at that question. _'Great going, Daiki! Talking to her about something that __**none **__of us wants to remember!' _He scolded himself.

Tamaki managed a small smile up at him. "I'll manage," she said, cradling her left wrist to herself. "I…still can't use much strength, if any at all, but I'll manage. I always do." She added as an afterthought.

Silence.

"Kise…messaged me this afternoon." Aomine said at last, trying to find at least something to talk about that would fill the awkward silence.

When had things grown this awkward between them?

Before, they can talk about anything under the sun for hours. Things like basketball, Tamaki's favourite books, the team, exams (which Aomine had never been good at, and thus, often has to have Tamaki tutor him), their opposing teams, and even Tamaki's part time job. The reason why Aomine often waited for Tamaki during her work hours is because he doesn't like seeing the 'customers' walk in there to just hit on Tamaki…once they realise that she's there, that is.

"I heard that you would be playing against his school in a practice match," said Aomine.

By now, they have reached Tamaki's house – a small one room apartment that her aunt and Sei have helped her to look for after her parents' demise when she had refused their offer to move in with them.

Tamaki looked at Aomine. "Do you want to come in for awhile?" she asked, pulling her keys out of her pocket.

Aomine nodded silently, and Tamaki smiled a small smile at him as she unlocked her door and pushed it opened, entering with Aomine just behind her. The taller male glanced around the apartment. It hasn't changed one bit since the last time that he had came here for a study session back in third year when Tamaki had forced him to, especially after Satsuki had begged her to do so, being at her wits end when it comes to Aomine's grades.

It is still as neat and tidy as Aomine had remembered, with just a small kitchen and a bathroom. Tamaki lives alone, so she probably doesn't have any need of a sitting room of some sort. Three photo frames were hanging on the wall just above the small low table that Tamaki uses for meals. The first photo is that of the entire Generation of Miracles after their first National victory. The second photo is that of Satsuki and Tamaki themselves, standing outside the school. The third photo is that of Aomine and Tamaki taken at the celebration party that the entire Generation of Miracles had gone to after their first National victory.

"I only have tea." Tamaki announced, startling Aomine as she appeared with a cup of tea in hand.

"I-It's okay." Aomine stuttered, sitting down at the table with Tamaki. The tea is hot, but soothing. Just like how he likes it. He glanced at Tamaki's covered wrist before she covered it with her right hand.

"It's not your fault." Tamaki said quietly, and Aomine looked into her eyes. Those blue eyes that he loved so much. There is nothing but understanding in them. "It wasn't your fault. I was the one that choose to take the blow for you after all. It has nothing to do with you. It wasn't your fault."

"But…" Aomine murmured.

"I forgive you." Tamaki said firmly. "I already did a long time ago. There is nothing to forgive, Aomine-kun."

Aomine managed a small smile.

"Why did you come?" Tamaki asked. "I hadn't seen you since graduation. You wouldn't come out of the blue like this just because I have a match with Kise's school. You came here for a reason. What is it?"

Aomine said nothing. He had several questions floating in his mind. So many questions that he wanted answered. _Why did you leave? Why did you disappear? Why didn't you come with me to Touou? Is your hand really okay? _

And the question that he wanted answered most of all: _Did you really find a new partner, a new 'light'? Did you replace me?_

But he couldn't bring himself to ask her that.

"Everyone wanted to know the same thing, Tamaki," said Aomine, warming his hands around the cup, even as he looked into Tamaki's eyes. The eyes that Midorima had complained on more than one occasion that he couldn't tell just what she's thinking, like he could with everyone else. "The last Nationals… Why…? Why did you disappear all of a sudden like that?" He couldn't mask the hurt in his voice at that.

_Why did you disappear? Why did you find a new partner? Do you not like me anymore? Do you hate me? Do you…not need me anymore?_

Tamaki said nothing for several moments. "There…were a few reasons," she said at last. "But there is one reason that is more important than anything else."

"What is it?" Aomine asked.

"I left because…" Tamaki trailed off slowly, looking straight into Aomine's eyes, looking so unbearably sad. "…Aomine-kun, you _changed._ You're no longer the Aomine-kun whom I knew. _Everyone _changed. I can accept it. But you… _You _changed most of all. So much that I can no longer recognise that it's you." She whispered, staring down at her hands. "You no longer love playing basketball. I want to see it. An Aomine-kun that loves playing basketball." She laced her fingers together. "When we first started out – even before we became known as the Generation of Miracles, we all started playing because we _love _the game. But by the time that we're in our third year, I can honestly say that no one on Teiko loves playing basketball anymore. Especially _you." _Her voice rang true in Aomine's heart. "That's why I left. I cannot bear to see an Aomine-kun that hates basketball."

"I…"

"I didn't regret joining Teiko." Tamaki told him, ignoring the interruption. "What I regret is letting the team become what they had became in third year. Teiko is the best of the best. No one can beat us. We were…unbeatable. But still, we weren't a team. That's what I feel."

"Is that why you left?"

Tamaki was silent. "Part of it," she admitted at last. "I…am not sure anymore. No." She shook her head. "I'm sure that you have a big part to do with it." Aomine's eyes went wide. "When Sei taught me the basics for my new style after I thought that I couldn't play anymore, and you encouraged me, I was happy." She admitted. "You said that you needed me. That I'm your 'shadow', and that you're my 'light'. That we will never be apart. That there is no such thing as a useless player. But…"

"But?"

"During the National final, none of you needed me at all. Especially you." Tamaki looked at Aomine who felt almost as if a knife had just stabbed him in the gut. "You…were just playing your own way. You didn't need me to pass you the ball anymore. You didn't need my support anymore. You…don't need your 'shadow' anymore."

"That's not true!" Aomine protested, guilt wracking his frame when he realised that _he's _the one that had pushed Tamaki away.

"After the National final, I then realised something…" Tamaki continued as if Aomine had never spoken. "I'd also become too dependent on you. The team changed drastically. Kise-kun used to love playing basketball, as is Sei, Midorima-kun, and maybe Murasakibara-kun. But by the time we're in our third year, I don't see the love for basketball in them anymore. The way that all of us delights in flattening our opponents until they hates basketball as much as we do…" She trailed off. "I…can't stand playing like that. All these changes happened without me realising it. But for me to stay and watch the team…watch _you _play basketball as if it's the one thing on earth that you hate the most…" Tamaki trailed off slowly. "It's too much."

"Is that why you went to Seirin?" Aomine asked quietly, understanding Tamaki's reasoning more now. And he hates himself for it. As much as he wanted to deny it, he knew Tamaki is right. He _did _hate basketball now. And he _did _push Tamaki away. Seriously, back in third year, when is the last time when he had received a pass from Tamaki? He can't remember. "Is that why…you replaced me with a new partner?" He sounded hurt.

"It is true that I attended Seirin because of that reason, instead of one of the schools that the rest of the team went to." Tamaki admitted. "But I had never left you." She looked at Aomine. "No one can replace you, Aomine-kun. I will always be your partner. That fact won't change. Kagami-kun was never your replacement to start with." Tamaki told Aomine.

"Then why?" Aomine asked quietly.

"No one that we'd ever played against can beat you." Tamaki told Aomine. "That's why I want to find someone who has that potential to become your rival. Someone who can give you a challenge." Aomine's eyes widened in surprise. He remembered the words that he'd told Tamaki so long ago – the first time when he had pushed her away.

"_The only one who can beat me, is me alone!"_

"Now that you know, Aomine-kun, at least tell me what you're here for." Tamaki said tiredly. Aomine said nothing. _Don't go. _Tamaki got up, taking the cold cup of tea from Aomine's hands, taking it to the sink in her tiny kitchen. _Don't leave. Don't go. _"I hadn't seen you since graduation, and even then, it is like I don't know you anymore."

_Don't leave me, Tamaki._

"You're…in Touou, aren't you?" Tamaki continued, washing the cups in her sink. "Satsuki told me about it. Will you play against Seirin someday? Against the others?"

_Do you still like me? Will you still like me in the future?_

Aomine wasn't even aware just when he had gotten up from the low table that he had been sitting at with Tamaki for the better part of an hour. He was only aware of it when he had wrapped his arms around Tamaki, not willing to let her go ever again, burying his nose into her hair.

"_Tamaki!"_

* * *

_A/N: And second chapter done! Finally! I swear that my fingers are about to fall off, with just how long that I'd been typing! This story will still stick relatively closely to canon plot, with some differences or additional scenes along the way – like the one with Akashi in chapter one, and then the one with Aomine in this chapter._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me motivation to update!_


	3. Practice Match from Hell

You guys are awesome with all your reviews! A big thank you to everyone who had reviewed! So to answer a few questions… Seriously, I should just make a question and answer column here to answer any questions that my reviewers have in the future.

_Aomine finding out about Tamaki's reason for leaving: _Well, I've read the manga all the way to the latest chapter, and I found it a little ridiculous that Aomine still _doesn't know _Kuroko's reason for leaving, even though Kise does. I mean, Aomine and Kuroko are best friends and partners during middle school. If it's anyone who deserves to know Kuroko's reason more than anyone else, it's Aomine. Hence why I had Tamaki tell Aomine _why _she left.

_Rin136: _Well, like I said before, this story is pretty AU. Thus, things won't really be playing out like how they would in canon (except for the matches maybe?). And yeah, in canon, Aomine met Kuroko when the rumours of a ghost reach his ears. But in this story, Tamaki _didn't _start off with her misdirection style. She only started using it _after _she injured her hand. As this is AU, I _will _be going into depth about their past, particularly about the GoM's Teiko days, and how they became a known name to nearly every single school out there, and just how they changed so drastically that Tamaki actually had enough and left.

_Kise injuring Tamaki: _Hehe, you guys just have to wait and see what I had in mind for poor Kise now, won't you?

_Tamaki transferring schools: _Well, I'm not really sure if I want to have her transfer schools yet. If you recall, in chapter one, Akashi made a bet with her, stating that if Seirin ever lose before the Nationals, he wants Tamaki to transfer schools. I'm not sure about making Tamaki transfer yet. If I _do _have her transferring, it will be for a bigger reason than for just for the sake of a bet. Because I'm not too fond of Kagami myself, especially with his comment to Kuroko in one of the earlier chapters/episodes: _"You have no talent. You should just give up on playing basketball." _That just pisses me off!

_About my grammar, or lack thereof: _I am aware of this problem about my grammar, since it had been plaguing me for as long as I could remember. And no, I'm not about to get a beta reader, since the last three beta readers that I have _could not be contacted _a few months after I have them, and seemed to have fallen off the face of the earth! My suggestion is this: you tell me the mistakes that you've spotted in the sentences, and the suggested amendments for it, and I'll go back and amend it. How does that sound?

Anyway, on with the story!

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Three: Practice Match from Hell**

"_I'm in the shadow. The light taking the points will be you, Kise-kun." - Kuroko Tetsuya to Kise Ryota (Chapter 62.5)_

**XXXXXX**

"RUN FASTER! OR I'LL TRIPLE THE NUMBER OF RUNS YOU HAVE TO MAKE!"

The bellowing voice of Seirin High's student-coach Aida Riko could be heard screaming at her players as they did their usual drills and warm-ups around the court before they actually got to the real training.

"I-Isn't she even more tedious than usual?" Koganei Shinji wheezed, trying to force his aching legs to press on even faster as he jumped to catch the ball before throwing it to Mitobe.

"Don't let Riko hear you say that." Hyuuga warned in a whisper.

"By the way, where's Tamaki?" Izuki Shun asked, glancing around and checking the entire gym just in case. One will never know in the case of Tamaki after all. "I hadn't seen her around yet."

"Oh, she took the day off today for some reason. Something about a medical appointment." Hyuuga informed his teammates.

"Medical appointment? Is she okay?" Koganei asked, concerned. The match with Kaijo High School is just three days away after all.

"Well, Tamaki doesn't seem too concerned about it when she came to our classroom during lunch hour earlier to tell Riko and me about it, so it should be okay," said Hyuuga, shrugging his shoulders. "I hope." He added as an afterthought.

**XXXXXX**

Meanwhile halfway across the Tokyo district, one can find Kuroko Tamaki and Aomine Daiki on their way to Morita Hospital in central Japan.

It wasn't that obvious on Tamaki's face, but she was irritated, and Aomine looked rather sheepish. "I can't believe that you just skipped practice just to come with me to the hospital," said Tamaki, a note of irritation in her voice that is obvious only to Aomine, seeing as how he had spent so much time with Tamaki throughout their three years in middle school. "Satsuki is _not_ going to be happy with you."

Neither Aomine nor Tamaki had spoken of _that _event that had just taken place in Tamaki's house four days ago. Tamaki didn't speak of it, and neither did Aomine, with both of them pretending that it never did happen. And as it stands, Aomine wasn't sure where their relationship—if it _is _a relationship—even stands.

"Whether I go to practice or not, the result will still be the same." Aomine said. "I'll still win the next match, no matter who it is, so why bother?"

Tamaki looked at him, looking as if she is about to say something, but in the end, she closed her mouth and looked away. Aomine sighed inwardly. He knew that Tamaki is right—he _had _changed. The Aomine Daiki of three years ago wouldn't say such a thing. He had been working on repairing his friendship with Tamaki, but it looks like no matter how hard he tried, it only serves in pushing them further away from each other.

He hates it, but it is almost like his mouth had a will of his own, like it's sprouting all those words on it's own: _"The only one who can beat me, is me alone", "Your basketball can't beat mine", "No matter who it is, the result will still be the same."_

Tamaki sighed. "Do whatever you wish. You've always been that way, anyway." She muttered something beneath her breath, and Aomine grinned. "And it's not like it's anything major. It's just the usual monthly check up and rehabilitation. You know that."

After Hanamiya had shattered Tamaki's left wrist back in second year, and when Tamaki had the brace taken off a year after that, it soon became a requirement for her to go to the hospital every month for a check up and also for rehabilitation. Back in Teiko, one of the Generation of Miracles would usually go with her, usually Akashi. But if he's held up, it will be Aomine or Kise. The Generation of Miracles usually took turns accompanying Tamaki to the hospital. At least, until Tamaki had disappeared.

Tamaki is a little surprised that Aomine actually still remembered the day and time of her usual monthly check up though. From what she remembered of Aomine during her middle school days, the boy didn't have the greatest memory, and one of their teachers had complained once that Aomine seemed to have only basketball on the brain, with how poor that his test results are.

Aomine fidgeted. "Does your team know that you can't…use your left hand?" he asked hesitantly.

Tamaki didn't say anything for several moments as she rubbed the fingers of her right hand over the black wristband covering her left wrist for several moments.

"…No."

"You don't plan on telling them?" Aomine asked, concerned.

Tamaki's injury was known to every school in the middle school district back during their second year of Teiko, especially since their school is pretty famous in a sense, and not to mention that Tamaki is the only girl playing in an _all-boys' _team at that point in time. But only the Generation of Miracles actually knew just how bad that the injury was.

Other schools, even the first through third string players of Teiko, which also includes their coach, just assumed that the injury is a normal one, and that it had healed by the time that Tamaki had returned to matches as a regular. It is a secret that all the members of the Generation of Miracles had shared, even now, and as a result, all of them are unusually tight lipped about their Teiko days.

The over-protectiveness that they've shown to Tamaki actually only came about after that incident back in second year. It is also part of the reason why Akashi had suggested Tamaki developing her style around the misdirection style after losing the usage of her dominant hand – her left hand. Part of the reason is because it enables her to stay out of their opponents' senses. The other part is because it also allows Tamaki to see any 'attack' coming.

Tamaki didn't say anything for several moments even as the white building of Morita Hospital came into view, with the wailing sirens of an ambulance in the distance. "I don't want to see the same look on their faces that I see on everyone else but you guys." Tamaki said at last, looking up at Aomine. "And even you guys have that same look on your faces in the beginning until Sei gave you lot the lecture of the century."

Aomine flushed. "Ah right."

After Tamaki had returned to school after having her wrist broken by Hanamiya, for lack of a better word, _everyone _was treating her like some fragile thing that is about to break, even the Generation of Miracles. Though that is _once _they realised that she's there, of course. Tamaki got rather annoyed one afternoon when Kise insisted on helping her to carry her bag as if she can't do it on her own.

Finally, Akashi who is the only one not treating Tamaki any differently than before got fed up after one practice, and had the entire Generation of Miracles stay back after that for a major scolding session. And like the Generation of Miracles and all of Teiko had learned by then, whenever Akashi gives an order, it is best to obey him and to keep your trap shut.

As far as Aomine could remember, Tamaki is _the only one _who could defy Akashi without dire consequences, though that could be because Akashi had a soft spot for her. But to be fair, Tamaki doesn't defy Akashi often, and when she does, it is also within acceptable limits.

Both Aomine and Tamaki fell silent after that, even as the two entered the air-conditioned hospital, only to be greeted with the strong smell of antiseptic. The two then made their way to the second storey of the hospital, and towards the specialist's office that Tamaki always sees.

Aomine leaned against the wall of the specialist's office as he watched the doctor went about the usual routine – asking Tamaki the standard questions which includes her diet, whether she has been doing anything strenuous with her left hand, etc. He then watched as the doctor had Tamaki rest her left hand onto the wrist cushion on his desk, but not before Tamaki had removed the wristband that she wore. The doctor pressed around on the nerves of the wrist before tapping gently on it.

Finally, he sighed and wrote something in his clipboard. And like all the past several times whenever Aomine had accompanied Tamaki to the hospital, he walked up to her as the blue haired girl slipped on the wristband.

"Still as usual, huh?" The doctor mused, writing something in his clipboard. "You can still use your left hand, but…"

Tamaki sighed. She had long given up on having her hand healed after the first few disappointments. "Well, it's not like I'm expecting anything anyway," she said. She looked sad. "I can't even feel anything in my left hand ever since the incident back in second year." She flexed the fingers of her left hand.

Aomine said nothing.

It is true that Tamaki can still use her hand like nothing had ever happened before. But only the Generation of Miracles knew just how serious Hanamiya had crippled her back then. When Tamaki had the cast taken off after the bone had healed, it was then that they found out that Tamaki had lost all feeling in her left hand. She can't feel anything at all.

Even if someone had spilt burning hot water on her left hand, she wouldn't be able to feel it. And at the same time, Tamaki can't use strength in her dominant hand any longer, and neither can she control the motions of her left hand as well as she could use to. Hanamiya had effectively crippled Tamaki's dominant hand, thus forcing her to switch to her right hand if she still wishes to continue playing basketball.

Broken bones can be healed with time. But nerves and ligaments are a different matter entirely. Back then, the injury that Tamaki had suffered at Hanamiya's hands had effectively damaged the nerves in her left hand, thus affecting the mobility of her left hand as a result.

"Well, we'll take our leaves," said Tamaki, standing up and giving the doctor a polite bow. Aomine mimicked her actions before the two then left.

"I'm going to get a drink," said Aomine as they left the office. "Do you want something?"

"Pocari," said Tamaki at once. "I'll wait here."

Aomine nodded before heading off in search of some vending machine. Tamaki then turned around to search for a waiting area only to have an older boy with half-long brown hair and gentle dark eyes – obviously a patient here judging by the hospital gown that he had on, bump into her.

"Ah. Sorry." The boy looked curious. "I didn't see you there."

"It's okay." Tamaki reassured him, since it wasn't the first time that this had happened anyway.

"Want one?" The boy offered Tamaki a candy out of the wrapper pack that he was holding.

Tamaki nearly sweat dropped. Somehow… This boy reminds her of someone whom she knew…

"No, thank you." Tamaki declined, eyeing the boy carefully. Should he really be eating sweets if he's a patient in the hospital? Won't it set his recovery back?

"Too bad. They taste good." The boy commented, throwing a sweet into his mouth. "Are you here to visit someone?"

"No, I'm here for a medical check up." Tamaki answered, rubbing at her left wrist unconsciously.

"I see. I hope that everything is okay." The boy smiled down at her.

"I'll be fine. I'd better go and find my friend." Tamaki gave a small smile at the older boy. "Knowing him, he probably got lost or something again. I hope that you get better soon."

"I will." The boy grinned at her. "Everyone's waiting for me. Which school are you in? Are you in high school? Or middle school?"

Tamaki was mildly annoyed. Why does everyone think that she's still in middle school? She's in freaking high school for goodness sake! She's sixteen!

"I'm in high school," she told the boy, turning around to search for Aomine. "Seirin High."

She then disappeared around a corner, missing the raising of eyebrows from the boy as she said 'Seirin High'.

Kiyoshi Teppei then smiled, still munching on his sweets in a manner rather reminiscent of a certain purple haired giant.

"I see…" he mumbled to himself. "So she's that player."

**XXXXXX**

The day of Seirin's match with Kaijo High dawned bright and clear.

The entire Seirin team was all on time, all looking refreshed and eager for their match against a National-level team, and also against a member of the legendary basketball team – the Generation of Miracles.

And as they walked through Kaijo High in search of the gym, the players marveled at the size of the school as well as how big it was. Seirin pales in comparison to Kaijo, as Kaijo is easily nearly three times the size of Seirin. It could quite easily pass off as a college campus.

"This place is huge." Hyuuga commented as they walked through the school, admiring the different buildings in the school. Apparently, the sports facilities of Kaijo were in a separate building from the classrooms, unlike Seirin where the sports facilities and classrooms were all in the same building. "You can really tell when a school is devoted to it's facilities." The captain commented, spotting several athletes running on the treadmills in a gym that they've passed by. The gym itself had several on-the-top equipment as well.

Kagami had looked scarier than usual when he had joined up with the rest of the team at Seirin before they had headed to Kaijo High together. For some reason, his eyes are more bloodshot than usual, and he had bags beneath his eyes.

"Kagami-kun, the look in your eyes is worse than usual." Tamaki commented, only to receive a growl from said boy.

"Shut up." An annoyed Kagami retorted. "I was a little too excited about the game, and I can't sleep."

Tamaki just stared at him. "What are you, a grade school kid going on a field trip for the first time?"

"What'd you say—" Kagami was about to bite back a comment when a shout caught his attention.

"Hey!"

The Seirin team looked around only to see an excited Kise dressed in a plain black sleeveless vest and dark orange shorts running towards them. Even in normal sportswear, he still looked like some model posing for a sports magazine. Tamaki sighed inwardly. She can see why Kise was scouted to be a model back in their third year…

"Kise!" Kagami spluttered as Kise reached the Seirin team.

"This place is big, so I thought that I'd come and get you." Kise explained cheerfully, as he received a greeting from Riko. Kagami was about to say something to that only to have Kise ignore his presence as he walked over to Tamaki who was somewhere in the middle of the group. "Tamacchi, ever since you turned down my invitation to join us, I've been crying into my pillow every night."

Tamaki sighed at the deadpanned looks that the rest of her team was giving her 'crying' ex-teammate. Ever since she had became his instructor back in second year, Kise had been rather clingy to her, and would tend to hug her a lot, something that annoys Akashi and Aomine a lot back then.

"What is with him?" Hyuuga deadpanned.

"Just show us the way!" Kagami snapped.

Kise didn't seem to have heard Kagami, as he continued on his tale of misery to Tamaki who is kind of used to the blonde's antics by now. The Generation of Miracles all had some weird habits that it sometimes made Tamaki wonder if being a genius at basketball means making them weird in some way or another.

"Not even a girl has turned me down before." Kise continued, apparently oblivious to the amused looks that the rest of the Seirin team was giving an emotionless-looking Tamaki.

"Yes I know." Tamaki sighed, recalling their Teiko days, and what Kise had been like when he had first transferred over and had joined the basketball team. "And stop it with that please. The way that you're talking makes it seem like I'd just rejected a love confession."

Kise smirked deviously. "That's why I'm interested to know more about the guy who's making Tamacchi say those things." He turned and faced Kagami. "I don't particularly care about being called the Generation of Miracles, but I can't ignore such an obvious challenge. I'm not mature enough to let it slide." Kise's smirk darkened. "Sorry, but I'm going to crush you with everything I have."

Kagami grinned upon hearing that, having fired up even more upon hearing that.

"Sounds good."

* * *

"This is it."

It had been a rather long walk from the school's entrance to the gymnasium where the basketball team always practiced, and like what Kise had mentioned earlier, this is just one of the three gymnasiums that Kaijo High had, since they're a nationally renowned school for their sports teams.

Sounds of shouts and sneakers squeaking on the courts could be heard as they approached the gymnasium. Seirin was soon greeted with the sight of Kaijo players practicing on one side of the court, with the other side being occupied by some Kaijo players who are obviously their opponents, chatting among themselves.

"We're…playing on half a court?" Riko echoed. "The other side's being used for practice?"

A rather portly looking man in his late forties that is inspecting a clipboard noticed their group just then and approached them. Tamaki recognised the man from Kise's talks about his new high school, and that this man is the basketball coach, Takeuchi Genta.

"You're here. Welcome." Takeuchi greeted them. "I'm the coach, Takeuchi." He then raised a semi-confused eyebrow as he scanned the group, but spotted no one whom he thinks is the coach. "By the way, which one of you is the coach?"

He glanced over the Seirin players. It isn't uncommon for high school teams these days to have player-coaches, usually players that are at National level, as not every school could afford to hire a professional coach to coach the students.

Hence, Takeuchi was very surprised when the girl whom he thinks is the team manager introduced herself as the coach.

"You're not the manager?" Takeuchi spluttered.

Riko frowned. This isn't the first time that an opposing school had mistaken her as a manager, but seriously, this is getting a little old. "I'm the coach, Aida Riko," she proclaimed. "We look forward to playing with you today!" She gave a polite bow. "By the way, what is this?" She glanced over at the half-court that Kaijo's players were practicing their drills on.

"Exactly what it looks like." Takeuchi stated. "We've only made simple arrangements for today's game."

"Arrangements?" Riko asked, trying to keep her cool.

"There won't be enough to learn from this game to make it worth watching for the guys sitting out. We're having the other players practice as usual so we don't waste time." Takeuchi continued on absent-mindedly, apparently missing the looks of anger reflected on the faces of the Seirin players. "Despite the arrangements, you'll be playing our regulars. I hope you won't let us triple your score."

Takeuchi walked away, missing the pissed looks on the faces of the entire Seirin team, especially Riko. And then again, maybe it _is _a good thing that he didn't see the look on Riko's face, as she had on a glare that could make even Medusa pale in comparison. The brunette coach practically had steam coming out of her ears as several red ticks appeared on her head.

Even Tamaki doesn't look pleased at this insult to her team, and silently vowed to make the portly coach eat his own words.

"They think we suck." Kagami growled through tightly clenched teeth next to her. Tamaki looked up at the taller boy only to see a scarier than usual look on Kagami's usually scowling face. "They're treating this like a sideshow to their practice."

Tamaki smiled upon seeing a pissed off Kagami. From her experience, she knew that Kagami's play get more vigorous, and dare she say it, _better, _when he's in a fired up mood. And the redhead is definitely fired up now. Fired up with _anger._

"Just listen to him speak." Hyuuga growled, practically _glowing _with anger.

"I haven't been this pissed in a long time now." Izuki stated, twitching.

As Kise was told to lead the Seirin team to the changing rooms, with the blonde extremely put out as he wasn't allowed on the court as 'it won't be a fair game otherwise', Tamaki turned towards her old friend.

"Please warm up," said Tamaki even as she followed the rest of her teammates into the changing room. "We don't have time to wait."

**XXXXXX**

"With that, let the practice game between Seirin High and Kaijo High begin."

The starting players from both teams were quick to line up at the center line, and the referee looked between both teams in confusion as he held the ball under one arm. "Uh, we're about to get started, so Seirin, please have your five line up."

Tamaki who was just standing right next to the apparently oblivious referee sighed. Is this going to happen all the time? It was funny in the beginning, but it starts to get old after awhile.

"Excuse me. There _are _five of us here."

This caused loud screams from the opposing team and the referee who clearly didn't see her until Tamaki had announced her presence.

"Whoa, what the hell?"

"She's got no presence…"

"Wait, _girl? _A _girl _is a starting player?"

Tamaki was annoyed, but she didn't let it show on her face. _'I can hear you, you bastards,' _she growled inwardly.

"She was right in front of me, and I didn't even realise." Number 8, Moriyama, muttered. "What about you, Kasamatsu?"

Number 4, Kasamatsu Yukio, who also happens to be Kaijo's captain, glanced at Tamaki before turning back to his teammate. "Me neither." He shifted uneasily, glancing at Tamaki as if making sure that she's really there.

Back on the sidelines, Riko was wincing as she sat on Seirin's bench, analyzing the stats of the Kaijo players.

'_This doesn't look good.' _Riko thought to herself. _'I can't see everything through their clothes, but their numbers are way higher than average. Our physical numbers are way behind. Honestly, it's not surprising for a nationally strong team.' _She glanced at the two freshmen starters on the court. Kagami is grinning like some maniac, causing the opposing team to wonder if he's a little touched in the head. Tamaki meanwhile was keeping well to the side, as is her role as the team's support or specialist. _'We've got Tamaki-chan and Kagami-kun on our side, but just how far can they carry us?'_

The whistle was finally blown, and the ball thrown in the air. Kagami reached for the ball, but Kasamatsu got to it first.

"One. Let's keep it up." He told his teammates whilst dribbling the ball, not keeping a particularly sharp eye on his surroundings.

Bad mistake.

Before Kasamatsu even realizes what is going on, the ball was smacked out of his hand by Tamaki who had seemingly appeared from out of nowhere, and had promptly made off with it.

"Where the hell did she come from?" Kasamatsu demanded, chasing Tamaki down with his teammate by his side.

Tamaki glanced over her shoulder only to see the two Kaijo players gaining on her before slowing her speed down to allow them to catch up with her. She then performed a tap pass by passing the ball over a shocked Kasamatsu's shoulder, passing to Kagami who had been waiting for the ball.

Tamaki and Kagami's training during the one week before their match with Kaijo had been to work on their coordination play, and to also get used to working together with each other, since they'll be playing together for a long time. Even back when Akashi had first started teaching Tamaki the basics of the misdirection style, and the blue haired girl had started developing her own style from it, and when Aomine had somehow found himself ending up as her partner, the two have to practice together often just so that their play can work during a match. It didn't take much work, as the two have practiced often together with each other, even before the incident, and they knew each other so well that they can almost read what the other is going to do.

Kagami grinned as he leapt into the air and dunked the ball into the basket before landing back onto the ground, only to realise that he's holding the rim of the goal. "EH?"

"What? He destroyed the goal?"

"You're kidding! I don't believe it!"

The onlookers as well as Takeuchi were stunned beyond belief, that some no-name school actually has a player like _that. _Meanwhile, over on Seirin's bench, Riko was grinning like the cat that had gotten the canary.

See that, people? That's what you will get if you underestimate her team!

"That thing's dangerous. One of the bolts is rusted." Izuki commented, glancing at the destroyed goal warily.

Kasamatsu who was staring at their destroyed goal with wide eyes was taken aback. "Even so, that's not normal," he said, staring at the destroyed goal. _'Is he really a freshman? And that girl from earlier… What is she?'_

"This thing is bigger than I thought." Kagami commented as he held the hoop in front of his face, testing out the size of the hoop that is easily larger than his own head.

Meanwhile over by the sidelines, Riko was apologizing fervently to Takeuchi.

"I'm so sorry!" Riko apologized.

"I'm sorry that we destroyed your goal," said Tamaki calmly, even as she pushed down Kagami's head in a bow – not an easy thing to do, considering the fact that Kagami is at least two heads taller than she is. "Since we can't play like this, could we use the full court?"

* * *

Meanwhile, Kise was laughing his ass off even as he watched the other players of Kaijo clean up the court to continue the practice game, with Takeuchi finally using the full court for the match instead of a half-court.

"Now that's what I call a beating." Kise finally managed to stop himself laughing long enough to say. "I've never seen the coach like that before."

Kagami growled. "You should tell him that that's what he gets for underestimating us!"

Tamaki looked between the two boys before turning towards Kagami. "Kagami-kun, how much do you think that a replacement hoop will cost?" she asked emotionlessly, walking away to take her position on the court.

Kagami stared at her with wide eyes, obviously having never thought of that. "E-Eh? We have to pay for that?"

"If we do, it is coming out of your pocket." Tamaki replied. "You're the one who broke it after all."

Kagami looked as if someone had just kicked his puppy, whilst Takeuchi looked as if he is about to burst a blood vessel as he roared for Kise.

"With that, let the game resume!" The referee shouted as the courts was ready for the continuation of the game. The players on both teams have also settled back on the court, all in their positions. The reserve players of Kaijo were all in the stands, all looking excited.

Kagami grinned as he saw Kise entering the courts. Kise smirked at the redhead. "Sorry to keep you waiting."

"You're finally in."

"You're way too intense for a model when you're on." Hyuuga commented.

"He's not just putting on a show." Tamaki stated, noticing Riko's worried look as she studied Kise fervently.

The coach must be reading his stats, like how she does to every team player that they've ever played against. And by the gods, what must Riko expect of a National class player who is a member of the legendary team that had helped to bring Teiko three consecutive victories?

Several screams caught the attention of the entire court just then, and Tamaki doesn't have to turn to see just what the reason is. It is a fairly normal occurrence back in Teiko whenever they have practices or matches with Kise around.

_Fan girls._

To be specific, Kise's fan girls.

"Huh? What's all that?" Hyuuga was taken aback at all the cheers. Those weren't there earlier when they were playing on half-court.

Kasamatsu who was near Hyuuga sighed and scratched the back of his head with an exasperated look on his face. "Oh, that?" he enquired. "This happens every time he plays." He explained. "And…" Several tick marks appeared on Kasamatsu's head as he kicked Kise in the head who yelped at the sudden impact and fell head-first onto the ground. "How long are you going to keep waving at them? I'll hit you!"

Kise groaned in pain as he picked himself off the ground. "You already hit me, Kasamatsu-sempai." He whined.

Kasamatsu twitched. "Do you understand what the situation is, Kise?" he demanded. "Who the hell is Number 10?"

"Number 10?" The blonde looked confused for a moment as he looked over at said Seirin player Number 10 only to see Kagami staring back at them. "Oh. That's Kagami."

"Kagami?" Kasamatsu was confused, as he had never heard that name before. "I've never heard of him."

"Forget about him!" Kise looked excited. "The person who stole the ball, Number 11. That's my teammate from Teiko, Tamacchi." Kise grinned. "She's amazing, right? Right?"

"Why are _you _so happy?" Kasamatsu demanded, hitting Kise in the stomach, and Kagami winced. "In any case, they gave us quite a greeting. It'll be rude if we didn't return the favor."

Kise grinned.

**XXXXXX**

In Rakuzan High School that also functions as a boarding school, Akashi Seijuro was as usual, playing shogi by himself on the rooftop of the school.

His cellphone rang just then, and the redhead took it out of his pocket only to see the name 'Aomine Daiki' flashing on the LCD screen, and he quirked a brow, wondering what the ace from his former team wanted with him.

After the spilt up of the Generation of Miracles when they've all gone on to their own high schools, it isn't like they don't still keep in contact. They still do with emails and such. It is only Tamaki whom he actually _calls _rather than email, though that could be because they're cousins.

And knowing his cousin, she probably didn't really email _or _call her former teammates unless they do it first. Tamaki just isn't the type to take initiative like that, and she isn't really a 'people person' as well.

"What is it, Daiki?" Akashi asked smoothly, even as he moved his king.

Aomine sounded nervous on the other end of the line, and Akashi grew suspicious.

"_Well…" _Aomine sounded sheepish, and Akashi could hear a female voice in the background that he could swear is Momoi Satsuki, their old team manager back in Teiko, and also Tamaki's best friend, shouting at Aomine, _"Just hurry up and ask him already!"_

Akashi resisted the urge to wince. As always, she still had that loud voice that is loud enough to shatter their eardrums.

"_Shut up, Satsuki! And go away!" _He could hear Aomine shouting at Momoi, and Akashi sighed.

'_Those two seem to like shouting a lot,' _he thought. Akashi cleared his throat. "Is there something that you need, Daiki? Please keep it short."

"_Ah, right. Just go away, Satsuki! I can't ask him with you breathing down my neck!" _Aomine shouted at Momoi on the other end of the line. Akashi can hear the background sounds of Momoi wailing, _"Dai-chan is an idiot! Why Tamaki-chan like an idiot like you, I'll never understand!"_

Akashi felt his eye twitching.

He seriously doubt that his cousin even remembered, but after their first championship victory at the Nationals during their Teiko days, as per tradition, the entire Generation of Miracles had gone celebrating at his mother's restaurant. However, for some reason, sake was somehow slipped in, and Aomine had ended up kissing his cousin in a drunken stupor. But as Tamaki was already asleep at that time, Akashi seriously doubt that Tamaki even realizes that she already had her first kiss stolen by a drunk Aomine.

"Daiki, is there something that you'd like to ask me?" Akashi asked smoothly. He knew that Aomine is trying to repair his relationship, or lack thereof, with his cousin. But knowing how his former ace is, he knew that it isn't exactly going smoothly.

"_Er, right."_ Aomine coughed nervously. _"Well… I, well… I would like to ask permission to date Tamaki."_

Silence.

"…Excuse me?"

Of all the things that Akashi was expecting, this was definitely _not _it.

**XXXXXX**

The players of both teams were panting like crazy, and currently trying to cool themselves down with the two minute time out asked by Riko.

With how tired that they all are, one wouldn't even guess that they've only been playing for five minutes. It had been an intense five minutes, with the pace at which both teams have been switching between offense and defense. And if Tamaki hadn't been out on the courts as well utilizing her misdirection ability to the fullest, Seirin wouldn't have lasted as long as they did.

The current score is now at 25:22, with Kaijo in the lead.

"Seriously, this isn't easy." Yoshitaka commented, glancing at Kasamatsu.

"Yeah, that freshmen duo is brutal." Kasamatsu agreed. "You should be able to handle Kagami." He added, glancing at Kise who is sitting beside him. "But what's with that invisible girl? That isn't normal."

Kise grinned goofily like an idiot at the mere mention of his former teammate. "I know, right?" Kise grinned like some lunatic. "Tamacchi's actually—"

"Why the hell are you so happy?" Kasamatsu shouted, pissed, as he punched Kise in the stomach.

"It's okay." Kise stated, removing Kasamatsu's fist from his stomach. "The balance will tip soon enough."

Over with Seirin, Riko was trying to come up with an effective enough plan with the two minutes that they have in order to counter Kise, as Kagami alone apparently isn't enough to stop the blonde. "Anyway, we have to deal with Kise-kun first," said Riko.

"I can't believe that Kagami can't handle the guy by himself." Hyuuga commented. "Should we put another guy on him?"

"Huh? Hey, wait a damn…" Kagami caught himself in mid-sentence. "Please."

"Please?" Riko echoed in confusion.

Before Kagami can say anything, Tamaki interrupted. She seriously doesn't want to tell her new team anything about her former teammate, but she doesn't have much of a choice here. And if she knows Kise like she does, she knows that the blonde will leak the only weak point of her misdirection skill to his team as well.

"No, there is a way." Tamaki said, and all eyes were now on her. Everyone, Kagami and Riko especially, have their full attention on her.

"Eh?"

* * *

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kasamatsu asked Kise in confusion. "That the balance will tip soon enough?"

"Because they have a weakness."

* * *

"A weakness?" Riko echoed.

"What? You should've told us sooner," said Hyuuga.

"No, to be honest, I'm not even sure if you could call it a weakness." Tamaki interrupted. "And also, I'm sorry. There's another problem. Because of the unexpectedly high paced play, my effectiveness is already wearing off."

"Wh-What?"

* * *

"Her misdirection isn't something that she can use for the whole 40 minutes." Kise explained.

"Misdi… What?" Kasamatsu was confused.

"Tamacchi's lack of presence isn't magic or anything like that." Kise explained, picking up the basketball at his feet. "She is just directing your attention elsewhere. For a moment, even I am able to do that. Watch me." He held the ball in his hand, and tossed the ball. Kasamatsu's attention instantly went towards the ball. "See? You're not looking at me." Realisation shone on Kasamatsu's face as he realised what Kise had meant. "Tamacchi's using her exceptional observational skills to do this continuously, creating the illusion that she had disappeared so that she could pass the ball around. Well, it's not like she has to do anything special to have no presence." Kise grinned, remembering the number of times when Tamaki had scared the Generation of Miracles shitless by appearing out of nowhere, especially Aomine. "But the more that she uses it, the more that we get used to it, and it's effect gradually decreases."

* * *

Riko looked almost ready to spit fire like a dragon.

"_Why didn't you tell us something so important sooner?" _

The coach looked ready to throttle the girl for not even mentioning this bit about her misdirection skill, though honestly, she really should have expected something like this.

"I'm sorry, but you didn't ask."

Riko looked ready to burst a blood vessel. "Do you not say anything unless you're asked?" she screamed. _'I must not have been thinking as well. I was stupid to think that we could pull this ridiculous strategy off without any risk.'_

A whistle was blown just then.

"Time out is over!"

"It ended while I was screaming at Tamaki-chan!"

The players were all returning to the courts, whilst Kagami approached Riko. "Let me stay on him, please." He added the last part as an afterthought.

Riko deadpanned. "Why are you acting so polite?" she asked as Kagami rushed out to the court. "Hey, wait! Switch from man-to-man to zone defense! Keep solid defense on the inside, and move to stop Kise-kun quickly. Stopping Kise-kun is your first priority."

"Got it!"

"Also, slow down your pace, Tamaki-chan. Just don't let the gap get too big." Riko told the smaller girl. "Can you do that?"

Tamaki nodded. "I'll try," she said as she hurried back onto the court, rubbing at her left wrist unconsciously. Already three times during the first half, she had to twist her body so that she can receive the ball using her right hand instead of her left. With her current condition, it just isn't possible for her to use her left hand at all.

So far, she had been lucky that her teammates did not notice that she always received or even pass the ball using her right hand. But even they aren't that dense. Sooner or later, they would notice it, and would ask why.

And also…

Tamaki glanced down at the wristband covering her left wrist.

Just how much longer can she participate in a match just using her right hand alone?

**XXXXXX**

"What'd you say?" Kagami narrowed his eyes at Kise.

The first half had just come to an end, with Kaijo in the lead. Kagami was more tired than any of his teammates, as he had been going head-to-head with Kise, and it was then that he realised that Tamaki was not exaggerating in the least about the strength of the Generation of Miracles. And if Kise is the weakest of the bunch, then just how strong are the others?

"The gap between our scores might get bigger, but it certainly won't get any smaller. More than formations or strategies, basketball is about your build. It's a sport of size. The difference between your team and ours is just too great. You were the only one who stood a chance against us, but I see now how good you are. I'll admit that you have potential." Kise's eyes flickered towards Tamaki who is listening in, along with everyone else. _'Otherwise, Tamacchi wouldn't have chosen you.' _"But you're still far below me. No matter what you throw at me, with just one look, I'll return it twice as good. You can struggle, but you'll never beat me. The real world isn't that easy."

Silence.

Then Kagami burst out into laughter, laughing like a maniac that had just escaped from a mental institute. Everyone can only wonder if he had just lost his sanity.

"Sorry. Sorry. I'm just so happy." The redhead managed to stop laughing. "It's been a long time since anyone had said that to me. I heard it all the time over there – in America."

"Eh? You lived in America?" Kise's eyes lit up like stars. "That's amazing!"

"I thought that I'd jumped the gun by coming back here to play. Hearing you say that is really encouraging." Kagami grinned a feral grin. "Life is all about challenges. There's no point in living if there's no one strong to play. It's better if I can't win."

Tamaki's eyes widened a slight fraction.

"_No matter how hard you try, and no matter how talented you are, you can never beat a regular of the basketball team." The captain of the Teiko team looked arrogantly down at the freshman Aomine Daiki who got to his feet again. "I won't lose to a freshman. I admit that you have potential, but come back in a year."_

_Aomine grinned. "That's what I like to hear," he declared, and the captain frowned. "It won't be fun if I can win so easily. Sports are all about challenges after all! It will even be better if I can't win!"_

Tamaki smiled to herself. _'He's a lot like Aomine-kun. At least, the him in the past,' _she thought to herself.

"Don't you think that it's a little too soon to be saying that you've won?" Kagami asked, walking past Kise and towards where Tamaki and Izuki were standing. "Besides, thanks to you, I now know your weakness. And I guess I can understand why Tamaki didn't want to say it." He stretched out a long arm and grabbed hold of Tamaki, pulling her over. "With one look? What if you don't see it? Against someone who is already invisible, it's impossible." Everyone on the court was now listening with bated breaths, particularly Seirin and Riko. "No matter how athletic you are, you'll never achieve an invisible basketball style. In other words… It's her, right? She is your weakness!" He grabbed hold of Tamaki by the top of her head, presenting her as if she is something to be shown off.

Meanwhile, Tamaki wasn't pleased about being treated like some sort of doll, and being dragged around, also messing up her hair at the same time.

"What are you doing?" Tamaki asked, annoyed.

* * *

_A/N: This chapter has more to do with canon plot, as it has the match with Kaijo involved. I'm planning to have a fluff chapter with Aomine in a bit – maybe after the match with Shutoku or something. So, what do you want to happen to Kise after Akashi, or heaven forbids, Aomine finding out about him hurting Tamaki next chapter?_

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews gives me motivation to update!_


	4. Cooperation Play

_Kise injuring Tamaki: _Well, you guys will find out what will happen in this chapter. And I kind of like Kise in a way, so I'll try not to bash him too much.

_Aomine asking Akashi for permission: _With Akashi's personality, do you think that Aomine can escape with his life if Akashi found out that Aomine is dating Tamaki without asking him first?

_Touou versus Seirin match: _Yes, with how I've made Aomine and Tamaki to be, things might just be a little awkward when the time comes for the Touou versus Seirin match. Though on the other hand, it might be a little interesting to see a jealous Aomine, since he hadn't met Kagami yet.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Four: Cooperation Play**

"_This guy's strength is completely different from the rest of us. It belongs in a different world." - Midorima Shintaro (Chapter 27)_

**XXXXXX**

All the way in Touou High School, Aomine gulped nervously.

Who knew that Akashi could sound so intimidating and menacing even though he is not in front of him? If truth be told, he'll rather not call Akashi, but he also knew that the redhead _would _kill him if he does not get through him first.

Akashi had been rather overprotective of his cousin ever since second year after Tamaki's parents have passed away, and during the incident with Hanamiya. Several students in Teiko have learnt that the hard way when they tried to target Tamaki because of jealousy. Not that Tamaki couldn't take care of herself. But when Akashi had caught wind of it, let's just say that those students have mysteriously vanished.

"I… I'll take care of her!" Aomine brought it all out in a rush. "I'll look after her!" He lowered his voice. "I just… I just want to go back to those days…"

In Rakuzan High, Akashi said nothing for several moments, his fingers hovering above a shogi piece, in the midst of making a move when Aomine had surprised him so much with just that one sentence.

The redhead remembered when he had finally managed to corner his cousin after he found out that Tamaki had left the team after the finals during the National tournament during their third year in Teiko. To start with, basketball had been the sport that had helped the two cousins to bond when they were kids, as when Akashi's parents had been still together, and when Tamaki's parents were still alive, they were always busy with something or other, and have often left the two children in the restaurant that Akashi's mother runs.

There is a street basketball court not far from the restaurant, and the two cousins have often spent their time there. Always playing street ball had helped to hone their basketball skills, and thus, both cousins managed to get into the regulars the moment that they have entered middle school.

Akashi soon found his mind wandering to when he had managed to corner Tamaki during his third year, when Tamaki had been helping his mother out in the restaurant like how he often did.

"_You left the team." Akashi told his cousin bluntly even as he took the pile of plates from her hands and started sorting them into colours and sizes in the cupboards where his mother had always kept them. The two cousins are currently in the kitchen. "Why?"_

_Tamaki said nothing for several moments. "It's not basketball anymore," she said at last, turning to face her cousin. "That basketball… It's become something that Hanamiya would do." Tamaki ignored the look on her cousin's face as she continued drying the plates. "And besides, the team doesn't need me anymore." She sounded sad._

_Akashi frowned. Not that he comes to think of it, Aomine and Tamaki's play is different from back in first and second year. Tamaki is now passing a lot more to the others, usually Kise or Midorima, than Aomine. And it all started after Aomine had started missing practice near the end of second year. He had heard Momoi screaming at Aomine about it once…_

"_Was it because of Daiki?" He asked at last. The wince from his cousin answered his question. He, along with Aomine, and perhaps only Momoi are the only ones who can actually read Tamaki's emotions, since no one really knows what she is thinking. "I see…"_

"_It's not…really his fault." Tamaki said, turning to face her cousin, but the deep hurt that he can see reflected in his cousin's eyes contradicted that statement. "Basketball is no longer fun for him. Me too…" Tamaki rubbed at her left wrist. "It's no longer fun for me too."_

"_Fun, huh?" Akashi mused. Come to think of it, just when is the last time when he had fun playing basketball? Back in first year? Or is it second year?_

"_Even Sei. Even you don't find it fun anymore." Tamaki told her cousin bluntly. "It's become more of a tool for the team to crush their opponents—to make them hate the sport as much as we do. That kind of basketball…" She stopped wiping the plate. "…I hate it."_

"Daiki, do you find basketball fun?" Akashi asked at last.

There was a surprised pause on the other end of the line as the former captain of the Teiko basketball team asked that question to his ace.

"_Why do you ask that?" _Aomine asked.

"I was just thinking about the last real conversation that I had with Tama before I headed to Kyoto to attend Rakuzan." Akashi said. "I asked her why she left the team. She said that she don't find basketball fun anymore. And that even the team doesn't enjoy playing it any longer. That what we're playing…is not basketball."

"_Akashi, I…"_

Akashi gave a small huff. "I give my permission," he said briskly, and Aomine stopped in mid-sentence.

"_Huh?"_

"I said that I'll give my permission." Akashi repeated. "Don't hurt her, Daiki." He warned. "Like how you did back in third year. If you hurt Tama again, you had better find a very good hiding place. Former teammate or not, I'll hunt you down. Is that clear?"

Aomine sounded nervous. _"C-Crystal clear, sir." _He nearly squeaked.

**XXXXXX**

The second quarter is soon well underway with the practice match between Seirin High School and Kaijo High School.

The score currently stands at 29-39, with Kaijo being in the lead. And Kaijo is still sticking to man-to-man defense, thus making it difficult for the Seirin players to go on the offense.

Izuki who had received the ball from Hyuuga was immediately guarded by a Kaijo player, and quickly passed the ball over to Kagami who was standing nearby, but was also currently getting guarded by Kise himself.

"Something's changed, right?" Kise asked.

Kagami glared, but he ignored the blonde, and immediately sped down the court, with Kise right by his side.

'_Just another drive?' _Kise wondered. _'Maybe another fade away?'_

'_Good, he fell for it!' _Kagami thought, even as Kise made sure to keep close to him.

The redhead waited until the path behind him was clear before he made a pass behind him where Tamaki was standing, in wait for the ball. Stunned, Kise turned just in time only to see Tamaki turn her body slightly so that she can receive the ball with her right hand, passing the ball right back to Kagami via a different path.

'_A coordination play? With Tamacchi?' _Kise thought in shock, his memory taking him back to his second year in Teiko – when he had seen Aomine and Tamaki perform a flawless coordination play whilst he was benched upon Akashi's orders because 'he learns better as he watches people.'

Kagami was quick to take advantage of Kise's shock to perform a two pointer shot which immediately went in, making the score 31-39, with Kaijo still in the lead.

"Nice shot!" Fukuda Hiroshi cheered from Seirin's bench.

Back on the court, Kise was panting, since it's taking him a lot to just deal with Tamaki and Kagami's coordination play with their other teammates, and the play of the entire Kaijo team is slowly getting messed up because of the confusion with Seirin's sudden play change.

The score is currently at 34-39, with Kaijo still in the lead, though Seirin is slowly catching up.

"Tamacchi…"

Tamaki looked at Kise carefully. "Kise-kun is strong," she said. "I can't beat you on my own—" _'Though with my left hand, I might be able to.' _"—and Kagami-kun can't stand against you. But if we work together, we have a fighting chance."

Kise glared. "You really have changed, Tamacchi," he said. "You weren't playing this kind of basketball back in Teiko. But you still can't stop me. I will be the winner!"

Kise moved to receive the ball that his teammate had passed to him, and Kagami grinned. "Not so fast," he said, and Kise stopped in his tracks as Tamaki moved instantly to guard him.

Kise grinned. "I never dreamed that we'd play together like this, Tamacchi," he said.

Tamaki didn't move from her spot. "Neither did I."

"_What is with that guy?" Kise wailed as he walked off the court, with it being the end of the first quarter._

"_You're holding the ball too long, idiot!" Aomine told Kise sternly. "Just pass to someone else already!"_

"_It's easier said than done!"_

_Tamaki sighed. "If you can't go on the offensive, why not go on the defensive then?" she suggested, and Kise turned towards the only girl on the team. "Sometimes, the best offence is the best defense."_

"I don't know what you're up to, but you can't stop me, Tamacchi!" Kise told Tamaki as he made it past her easily. Kagami immediately moved to stop Kise as the blonde made it past the blue haired girl.

"Wrong, we're not gonna stop you." Kagami grinned a feral grin.

"We're taking it!"

Tamaki took advantage of Kise's distraction, and immediately stole the ball from behind him, immediately passing it to Izuki who was nearby, and the second year immediately took off down the court.

"It doesn't matter how amazingly you play against us." Kagami stated. "Since our objective here is _letting _you through!"

Izuki scored the ball into the basket, and the Seirin side cheered.

Riko grinned. _'Not even Kise can react in time to someone invisible coming up from behind him.'_

Kise looked annoyed. "How about if I don't run by you?" he challenged, dribbling the ball. "No one said that I couldn't shoot a three pointer!" He took position to shoot a three pointer, but Tamaki and Kagami reached him before the ball could leave his hands, with the redhead jumping up in the air and knocked the ball from his hands. _'Tamacchi's covering below, and Kagami's covering up top. This play style…'_

"_I see," said an annoyed Aomine after listening to his opponent rant for about five minutes about how Teiko or not, they can't beat a National class school that had been going to the Nationals for ten years. "Since when is basketball a sport for reputation?"_

_His opponent blinked, as Aomine immediately leapt into the air to knock the ball out of his hands, and the opponent growled, passing the ball to his nearby teammate. To his horror, the ball was caught by the phantom-like blue haired girl who immediately passed it to Midorima who was nearby._

_A three pointer shot was immediately made._

'_It's exactly like back then!' _Kise thought in horror.

One of the main reasons why the Generation of Miracles was as feared as they were during the three years of middle school is also partly because of Aomine and Tamaki's coordination play. They can easily alter their play style to suit their teammates', and in that way, confuse the opposing team by coming up with different play styles and strategies each time (courtesy of Momoi), taking three pointers easily.

Seeing Kagami and Tamaki on the court right now reminds Kise of when the Generation of Miracles was at the peak of their play when they were in their second year.

'_An outside shot takes too much movement. These guys are a pain!' _Kasamatsu thought in annoyance. _'And that Kuroko's the one making this happen. Even though she's the weakest one on the field, and can't do anything by herself. I don't believe this!'_

"Fast attack!"

Kagami immediately headed towards the basket, and Kise growled. _'Oh no, you don't!'_

He turned quickly in the hopes to retrieve the ball quickly before they can score a shot, but failed to notice that Tamaki was right behind him. As a result, his fist swung back, and hit her right in the forehead roughly, with the force sending her falling to the ground.

All eyes were suddenly on her, with shocked looks being reflected on the faces of the Seirin players.

"Tamaki-chan!" Riko panicked upon seeing the girl take a fall to the ground.

The whistle was immediately blown. "Referee time out!"

"Tamaki!"

Whatever colour that is still in Kise's face drained even further when he saw Tamaki's injury. Apparently, the blow that she had taken is harder than he had expected, with blood flowing down the right side of her face from the cut, with Tamaki keeping her right eye closed.

"Are you alright, Tamaki?" Hyuuga asked, concerned, as he quickly ran over to the blue haired girl, helping her up.

"I feel a little lightheaded." Tamaki mumbled, even as Hyuuga took her face into his hands, and examined the injury closely.

"Get a first aid kit!" Riko ordered over at Seirin's bench.

Kagami trotted over to Tamaki who is currently still getting her injury examined by Hyuuga. "Hey, are you okay?" The redhead asked, concerned. He might be a brute, but he is still a guy, and he knew how to treat girls. Furthermore, Tamaki is his partner.

"I'm fine. The game is just getting started—" Even as Tamaki spoke, she started to sway, losing balance on her feet.

"Tamaki!" Hyuuga panicked, reaching forward to catch her before she can hit the ground.

But before Hyuuga or Kagami could even move, Kise was immediately in front of the blue haired girl, catching her in his arms before she could even hit the floor, lowering them both to the ground gently.

"Kise-kun?" Tamaki mumbled, recognising the familiar blonde hair in front of her.

Kise was pale and shaking, and he looked absolutely horrified with what he had unintentionally done just moments ago. "I…hurt Tamacchi…" he whispered in horror. "I _hurt _her… I was supposed to protect you especially after…" He shook in horror, and didn't even seem to notice as Kagami and Hyuuga gently took Tamaki from Kise, and led her over to Seirin's bench. Kise then remembered something and paled even further. _'Akashi-cchi and Aominecchi are going to kill me.'_

* * *

The entire Seirin team watched on in concern as Riko fussed over Tamaki's injury whilst she is laid down on the bench, with Riko treating the wound the best that she could with her mediocre first aid skills. A towel was currently folded and placed under Tamaki's head like a pillow – courtesy of Hyuuga, even as Riko cleaned up the blood on Tamaki's face and bandaged the injury as carefully as she could.

"What are we gonna do?" Hyuuga asked worriedly even as he stared down at their youngest player who had her eyes closed because of the blood loss, and because Riko had ordered her to rest, and not to think about anything else.

"Tamaki-chan can't play anymore," said Riko, turning to face her players. "We'll have to made do with the players that we have left."

"Make do…?" Kawahara echoed.

"Isn't this gonna be tough without Tamaki?" Fukuda voiced in concern.

"The second years will be our offensive core." Riko instructed. "It's only the second quarter, but we can't let them get too far ahead of us." She glanced at Hyuuga. "I know it's early, but it's game time, Hyuuga-kun." Hyuuga nodded. "Kise-kun will just copy you." Riko told Kagami. "So don't play offense. Focus on defending. Do everything you can to stop Kise-kun from scoring."

Kagami was taken aback at the plan. "Are you sure that will work?" he asked, doubtful. After all, he had seen just what Kise was capable of, even able to break through his defences.

"It'll be fine. Have some faith." Hyuuga told Kagami, annoyed. _'Are you looking down on your seniors?'_

"But…"

Nice Hyuuga disappeared, and Mean Hyuuga soon appeared.

"I said that it'll be fine, dumbass." Hyuuga said with a _nice _smile that seems a little too nice to be true. "Listen to your seniors once in a while, or I'll kill you." The whistle went off just then, and Hyuuga grumbled as he headed back to the courts. "Geez, the freshmen these days… You should show more respect for your seniors! And get on your knees!"

Kagami stared blankly. _'Is he bipolar?' _he wondered.

Izuki can only stare at their apparently bipolar captain. "You're showing your true colours, Captain," he called. He then turned towards Kagami. "Don't worry about him. He's always like that during clutch time. When he speaks his mind, he won't miss many of his shots. Leave the offense to us. You just defend like your life depends on it!"

**XXXXXX**

The huffs and puffs of a black haired teenager could be heard, with the teen sounding as if he was about to die as he pedalled with all his might on his bicycle, pulling a rear car behind him in which a green haired teen was sitting in.

"Damn it, we were supposed to trade at the signal." Takao Kazunari grumbled even as he pedalled on, leaving a very confused grade schooler standing by the side of the road, staring at the rear car with wide eyes. "You haven't even pedalled once!"

"Of course I haven't." Midorima Shintaro replied calmly even as he held his Tsukiyo drink in his left hand, his fingers bandaged as usual. "Today's 'Oha-Asa' horoscope predicted the greatest of days for Cancers like me."

"What does that have to do with this?" Takao shouted at Midorima, annoyed. "Anyway, if we're coming all the way out here just to watch a practice match, your middle school teammates better be good!"

"It's the copycat and the invisible girl." Midorima answered calmly.

"Are they good…—hold on, _girl?"_

Midorima ignored his companion's question. "Hurry up, or the game will be over."

"_It's your fault for reading horoscopes!"_

**XXXXXX**

It's currently the middle of the fourth quarter, and there was a hushed silence over the court, particularly with the spectators, as Tamaki was back on the court, despite her head injury, and her play is just as intense as with the first quarter.

And it is almost like Tamaki being back had given her team some unknown energy, as they are playing with as much vigour and energy just like back during the first quarter.

Tamaki stole the ball easily before passing it to Hyuuga, with the captain taking a shot at the goal, hereby bringing the game count to 82-82, with just five more minutes to go.

"They're tied!"

Takeuchi was twitching like mad, whilst the Seirin bench was cheering.

Kise stared on in shock. _'We're tied?' _he thought. _'Am I…really going to lose here?'_

"_Damn you, you did this on purpose!" Aomine screamed, his spit flying out of his mouth._

"_Aomine, now isn't the time for that!" Midorima scolded the ace, even as he knelt by Tamaki's side who is currently getting crowded by the rest of the Generation of Miracles, with Kise currently in full blown panic mode._

_The blue haired girl had passed out from the shock and pain, but Midorima can see that her left wrist was twisted at an odd angle, and he winced. That looks painful…_

Kise smirked darkly as his entire aura changed completely, and both Tamaki and Kagami realised what is going on immediately. Before either one of them could say or do anything, Kise immediately took off down the court in a burst of speed, even managing to bypass Tamaki and stole the ball, dunking it into the goal.

Tamaki stared on in shock. This…isn't the Kise-kun that she knew. This is…the Kise Ryota from the Generation of Miracles during her third year.

Kagami was furious. _'He's even stronger?' _he thought. _'Did he see through Tamaki?'_

_The gym of Teiko Middle School is silent, and empty of people, especially since the entire basketball club are probably still in party mood, with Teiko having clinched the championship at the Nationals for the third time._

_Kise was however, still practicing his shoots, facing the net as he took position._

"_Kise-kun?"_

_Kise almost gave a start when he heard a soft voice, and turned only to see Tamaki standing near him, still dressed in her school uniform._

"_Oh, Tamacchi." He grinned awkwardly at her. "You gave me a start!"_

"_Sorry." That's what the blue haired girl had always said, but Kise knew that Tamaki probably enjoyed scaring the living daylights out of the team. Aomine's reactions especially are always amusing._

"_Why are you here so early anyway?" Kise asked._

_Tamaki was silent before she dug about in her bag and pulled out a white envelope, handing it to Kise. "Hand that to Satsuki and the coach," she said, her voice betraying nothing._

_Kise was confused. "Huh? They'll be here themselves later on. Why don't you hand this to them yourself, Tamacchi?"_

_Tamaki managed a small smile and shook her head. "No, I…" She trailed off before coughing. "Just hand this to them," she said before turning and heading towards the gym doors, leaving a very confused Kise behind, clutching the letter in his hand. "See you around, Kise-kun."_

_The gym doors slammed shut behind her._

The look in Kise's eyes is almost murderous right now, and Kagami felt a cold chill run up his spine. Taking a glance at Tamaki, he noticed that she looked a tad bit uneasy as well, and was staring at Kise as if seeing him for the first time.

The redhead then recalled what Tamaki had told him once.

_It isn't something that you can understand from my words alone. It is something that you'll understand only if you were there too. Slowly, **they **changed. **He **changed. By the time that we're in our third year, I can honestly say that no one on Teiko loves playing basketball anymore. **They **changed. But more importantly of all, **he **changed the most._

'_This is…' _Kagami gulped as he stared at Kise who looked _pissed. '…the Generation of Miracles?'_

"I won't lose." Kise declared. "Not to anyone. Not even Tamacchi." _'Seirin isn't worthy enough for Tamacchi.' _The blonde thought angrily, glaring at the Seirin team. _'I'll prove it—I'll prove it in this match!'_

"This isn't good." Hyuuga grinned wryly. "Give it your all, everyone. This'll be just like the first quarter from here on out. A back and forth run and gun game!"

With just three minutes to go, and with the game count at 82-84 with Kaijo in the lead, it soon became a repeat of the first quarter – with both teams being back to scoring points one after the other without defending at all.

The time on the clock is simply ticking away, and now with fifteen seconds left to spare, both teams were tied at 98 points each.

Tamaki glanced at the clock. Ten seconds to go. No helping it.

"Kagami-kun, if we can get the ball, there is one more thing that we can do that Kise-kun can't copy." Tamaki told Kagami. She glanced at the agitated blonde on the court. "It is a simple strategy that can work only once though."

'_There's less than ten seconds left.' _Riko thought. _'We don't have the strength to play in overtime.' _"You can't just defend! Take the ball!"

_Seven seconds._

Hyuuga cursed to himself as a Kaijo player leapt up into the air, aiming for a shot. _'Crap—'_

Almost immediately, Kagami appeared seemingly out of nowhere, knocking the ball out of the air before it could go into the goal. Hyuuga grabbed the ball, tossing it down the court towards Kagami and Tamaki's direction, with Kagami grabbing the ball.

Kise immediately blocked the duo's way to the goal, and Kagami growled in anger. "Tamaki!" he shouted, passing it towards the blue haired girl, shocking Kise.

'_Tamacchi can't shoot!' _Kise thought to himself. The reason why Tamaki had used the misdirection style after that incident is because her right hand still lacks the control for her to shoot a goal. _'With only two of them, she'll have to pass it back to Kagami!'_

Tamaki glanced at Kagami before she took an aim towards the goal, much to everyone's shock and surprise.

"She shot the ball?" Kise spluttered in shock.

_One second left…_

"No…!" Kasamatsu realised what Tamaki's plan is even as Kagami leapt up into the air and grabbed the ball. "It's an alley-oop!"

"I won't let you!" Kise shouted as he jumped up behind Kagami, reaching for the ball. It was then that the blonde realised that he's falling towards the ground whilst Kagami still managed to stay in mid-air. _'You're kidding! We jumped at the same time, but I'm falling first. How can he stay in the air so long?'_

_It is a simple strategy that can work only once though._

"I don't need you to return the favour!" Kagami shouted. "Because—!"

_We just have to score a buzzer beater._

"This ends now!" Kagami shouted as he dunked the ball in the goal just as the buzzer went off, and the whistle blew, with the game count being at 100-98.

Seirin had won!

**XXXXXX**

Seirin was ecstatic over their victory after they've gotten a quick shower and have changed into their uniforms, with Kaijo seeing them off outside the gym, dealing with their loss extremely well and in a good natured way. The atmospheres surrounding the two coaches are entirely different however. Takeuchi looks livid, whilst Riko was practically glowing, with flowers practically appearing around her.

"Because we're in different districts, if we play again, it'll be at Inter High." Kasamatsu said with a smile, grasping Hyuuga's hand in a handshake.

"We'll be there," said Hyuuga. "I don't want to confess my love butt naked."

The smile on Riko's face is enough to match that of the Cheshire cat, whilst Kasamatsu was confused over the comment.

"Let's go!" Hyuuga ordered.

"Yes sir!"

"Hey, where's Kise?" One of Kaijo's players wondered, attracting Tamaki's attention even as she prepared to move off with the rest of her team.

"Beats me…"

**XXXXXX**

Meanwhile, Kise was standing at one of the sinks, running his head under the cold water of the tap to cool himself down. He stood like that for a minute or so before turning the water off, letting the water run down his head.

Footsteps approached him just then.

"Gemini's horoscope predicted terrible luck for you today, but I didn't think that you'd actually lose," said a familiar voice, and Kise turned towards the owner of the voice.

"You came to watch, Midorimacchi?" Kise sighed.

Midorima Shintaro stood there coolly, with the fingers of his left hand bandaged. "Well, either way, it was an unfortunate game," he said. "Even a monkey could have managed those dunks. It's no wonder fate didn't choose your side."

Kise sighed. As always, every single time whenever he is with Midorima, the green haired teen always ended up insulting him. The blonde had gotten used to the superstitious teen by now.

"I haven't seen you since Teiko." Kise deadpanned, ignoring Midorima's last comment. "It's good to see you again. And I see that you haven't stopped taping your fingers." He commented, leaning against the sinks. "Anyway, who cares if I dunk as long as it goes in?"

"That's why you're no good," said Midorima, annoyed. "Getting the ball in from up close is easy. Getting it in from far away has true value. Didn't anyone teach you to 'do the likeliest and God will do the best'? Optimal effort makes you worthy of fate's grace." He threw a green towel towards Kise who caught it easily. "I always do my best, and I always keep the Oha-Asa horoscope's lucky item on me. By the way, today's item is a toy frog. That is why my shots never miss."

Kise could only stare blankly at Midorima, who looked ridiculous with a toy frog sitting in the palm of his left hand, who is entirely serious about bringing a 'lucky item' with him every day. He still remembered his first encounter with the green haired teen in Teiko.

Let's just say that the two didn't get off on the correct footing.

'_I've never understood that last part.' _Kise thought with exasperation. _'And to think that this is the Generation of Miracles' number one shooter.'_

"Shouldn't you be talking to Tamacchi instead of me?" Kise asked, wondering just why his old middle school teammate would come all the way to his school just to watch a practice match between Kaijo and Seirin.

"There's no need." Midorima replied. "I not only acknowledge her style, but respect it. But I cannot accept her decision to attend an obscure school like Seirin. I simply came today to check up on her."

Kise sighed inwardly at this. So he's not the only one who disapproves of Tamaki's choice, and doesn't feel that Seirin is worthy enough for her.

"That's what you said, but I'm betting that Akashi-cchi sent you, didn't he?" Kise asked, and at Midorima's twitch, Kise knew that he had hit the nail on the head. "I knew it…" He deadpanned.

Seriously, if Akashi keeps this up, Tamaki is going to think that all her old middle school teammates are stalking her or something! First, Akashi sends Kise to check Tamaki up in her school. Next, he sends Midorima just because she has a practice match. What next?

There was a ringing of a bicycle bell just then, and both boys turned only to see an angry Takao riding his bicycle furiously, pedalling the rear car towards them, glaring at Midorima. If looks could kill, the green haired teen will be a hundred feet under.

"Midorima, you bastard!" Takao yelled. "You left me alone in the middle of traffic! Do you know how embarrassing that is?"

Midorima merely shrugged and turned his attention back towards Kise. "I just came to watch the game today. But allow me to apologise. There is no way that we'll lose to Seirin. I regret to tell you that you should give up on your revenge."

Kise sighed inwardly. _'Midorimacchi, have you forgotten just WHO you're talking about?' _he thought. _'There are several reasons why Tamacchi is the only girl playing on an __**all-boys' **__team like Teiko, and a member of the Generation of Miracles! Her playing ability isn't the only reason why she got in.'_

Even before the incident with Hanamiya, Tamaki had always been extremely observant and could notice things that most people could not. She even puts the observant ability of their manager to shame, as she can think of plays and strategies with speeds that is enough to make anyone's head spin.

"Oh right. I nearly forgot." Midorima turned towards him, and before Kise even knew what is going on, he felt pain explode in his jaw as the green haired teen punched him squarely in the jaw, glaring at the blonde through his glasses. "What were you _thinking_ when you hurt Tamaki, Kise?" Midorima hissed at him like a venomous snake, and Kise bowed his head in shame. "The fact that you even laid a hand on her is unforgivable, especially after we, the Generation of Miracles, have all sworn an oath to protect her, especially after what had happened back in second year."

Kise sighed. "I know. I will accept whatever punishment that you and the others dish out," he mumbled in shame.

"Well, what I would do is _nothing _compared to what Akashi would do once he catches wind of this." Midorima told him sternly, making Kise feel even smaller than he already is. "You were there that day too. You saw how Akashi had reacted when Hanamiya had injured Tamaki. You saw how _furious _he was. Even the teachers were wary of setting him off during that week when Tamaki was in the hospital. And I think that Akashi wants to speak to you." He pulled out his cellphone and dialled a number.

Kise paled. If Akashi ever catches word that he had injured Tamaki… Well, let's just say that Kise won't be looking at basketball the same way again.

"Midorimacchi, must you tell him?" Kise pleaded. "Can't you _not _tell him just this once?"

"Do I look like I have a death wish?" Midorima demanded, his phone still placed next to his ear. Kise knew what he had meant. Their former captain seemed to have this freaky psychic ability of knowing things before it had even happened. Chances are that Akashi probably already knew about this, and if Midorima withheld this information from their former captain, Akashi wouldn't be happy. "Akashi?" Midorima spoke into his phone, and Kise's eyes widened. Midorima glanced over at Kise. "Yeah, he's here." He handed his phone to Kise. "Akashi wants to talk to you."

Kise stared at the phone in Midorima's hand like it was about to explode before he sighed and took it. Well, time to face the music…

"Hello?"

"_Ryota." _The silky voice on the other end of the line made Kise gulp. _"So I heard what happened during the match."_

"It was an accident!" Kise squeaked. "I'm sorry!"

There was silence before Akashi spoke again. _"Daiki might be paying you a visit pretty soon," _he said smoothly, and Kise paled. _"And also, a word of warning: watch your neck if Kaijo ever meets Rakuzan in a match." Click._

Kise looked at the phone in horror as Akashi hung up. He wonders if he can fake having a stomach ache should Kaijo ever ends up facing Touou, or heaven forbid, _Rakuzan, _in a match.

**XXXXXX**

Riko dragged Tamaki over to the nearest hospital straight after leaving Kaijo High to get her head checked out first of all, and the entire team was relieved to learn that it isn't anything serious. Tamaki just had to take things easy for the next couple of days, and not to get her bandages wet.

"ALL RIGHT! We won!" Koganei finally let out his excitement at the euphoria at winning the match against Kaijo High.

"Let's get something to eat on the way home." Izuki suggested.

"What do you want?" Hyuuga asked.

"Something cheap." Koganei piped up. "I'm broke."

"Well, how much does everyone have after transportation costs?" Riko asked, and the team soon started digging out their wallets to count their money only to realise that they barely have enough to feed _one person. _

"Let's go home." Hyuuga said at last, staring at the two ten yen coins in Riko's hand.

"Yeah." Koganei nodded in disappointment.

Tamaki sighed as she glanced around her surroundings. The nearest hospital that Riko had dragged her to had been in the Tokyo district, and they're currently not far from her aunt's restaurant. She just prayed silently that her cousin isn't in there that day.

"My aunt's restaurant is near here." Tamaki spoke up, and all eyes rested on her. "I don't think that she'll mind if I bring you over. She always complains that I don't bring enough friends over as it is."

"Your aunt?" Hyuuga echoed, and the rest of the team stared in confusion.

Come to think of it, this is the first time that Tamaki had talked about her family. The rest of the team have often talked about their own family; how their sister is annoying, how a brother is always teasing them, how their parents are always embarrassing them. But Tamaki had never talked about her family, and had always somehow managed to skilfully change the topic whenever they've asked her about it.

"Yeah. It's this way."

* * *

The words 'Rising Sun' could be seen clearly on the signboard above the restaurant as Tamaki slide opened the shoji door, entering the restaurant with the rest of her team behind her.

The restaurant is small, but respectable looking, and the earth watering smells coming from the kitchen is enough to make the team drool. A smiling middle-aged lady with dark red hair tied up in a bun with a dark blue apron on is standing behind the counter.

"Aunt Yuki!" Tamaki called out, and the lady looked up in surprise and smiled at the sight of Tamaki, making her look younger than she is.

"Tama-chan! It's been such a long time!" Yuki walked towards Tamaki. "Are these your friends?"

"They're my teammates from the basketball club." Tamaki explained.

"Sorry for the interruption." Riko bowed.

"Oh, it's no problem at all." Yuki laughed. "Have you come for a meal? I'll serve you the restaurant's special! It'll be on the house!"

"Is that alright?" Hyuuga protested.

"It's fine! It's fine!" Yuki hurried them to a nearby long table that manages to seat the entire team easily. "Tama-chan rarely brings friends over. The only time that she brought them over is when she is in Teiko, and those are her teammates in the basketball team. And then again, it didn't really count either, since those are Sei-chan's friends as well."

"Aunt Yuki!" Tamaki groaned.

Yuki laughed. "Okay, I know. I'll leave you youngsters to talk whilst I prepare your meal. And you stay there and don't move, Tama-chan," she told Tamaki sternly, seeing the blue haired girl about to leave her seat. "You won't be helping today."

Tamaki sighed inwardly. She knew that there is no arguing with her aunt. "Fine."

The special of the restaurant has several earth watering smells that simply made the team hungry as they sniffed hungrily, and they simply cheered as the food arrived. Riko felt bad at having so much food being 'on the house', but Yuki simply refused to listen to any protests on the coach's part, and told Riko that if she feels so bad, just visit the restaurant often, and to also advertise her place of business.

The team was also quickly introduced to Kagami's peculiar eating ways.

"This is pretty good. Can I have seconds please?" Kagami asked, his mouth enlarged by the steak that he had just inhaled.

'_He's stuffing his cheeks like a squirrel!' _Hyuuga thought in embarrassment. It is already bad enough that the food is on the house, but to ask for seconds atop of it…

Yuki only laughed. "It's nice to see a healthy young man like yourself eat this much," she said, bringing another round of food to their table which Kagami is delighted to see. "I always had trouble making Tama-chan eat more than one helping whenever she has dinner with me and my son on weekends. No wonder she's so skinny!"

"Weekends?" Koganei echoed, watching Kagami eat in fascination.

Tamaki feigned deafness as she suddenly found the scenery outside the window extremely fascinating. Yuki smiled sadly at her niece. "I see that Tama-chan hadn't told you," she said. "Her parents are dead. Her father, my brother and his wife died in a car accident two years ago."

Deathly silence fell upon the table just then, and even Kagami paused in his eating as they stared at Tamaki who is looking out of the window.

"Sorry—" Koganei started before he jumped, as he had just spilt his cup of hot green tea, causing a river of hot tea to spill across the table.

"Ow! What are you doing, Koganei?" Izuki yelped as the hot liquid scalded his hand.

"I'll get some napkins!" Yuki offered as she hurried to the kitchen.

"Clean it up!" Riko ordered, tossing some napkins towards Koganei who went about cleaning up his tea, mourning the loss of it. "Tamaki-chan—" Her voice was suddenly caught in her throat as she saw Tamaki still staring out of the window, ignoring everyone around her. The green tea that Koganei had spilt had clearly splashed onto her left hand, but she didn't even seem to have felt the scorching hot liquid on her skin. _'Eh?'_

**XXXXXX**

The team decided to stay inside the restaurant and relax a little more before heading back, and Tamaki took the chance to leave the restaurant to get some fresh air, especially since she had already seen some of her teammates giving her pitying looks. _That _is the reason why she had never told them about her family situation!

Tamaki sighed as she closed the shoji door behind her, and stopped in surprise as she saw Kise standing outside, apparently waiting for her.

"Kise-kun?"

Kise grinned at her. "Do you have a minute to talk?" he enquired.

* * *

The two former teammates ended up walking towards a park not too far from the restaurant. It is near sunset by then, and the park is nearly empty.

"It's been awhile since we last talked like this," said Kise, settling himself atop the back seat of a bench. "How's your injury?" He looked guilty as he looked at the bandage around Tamaki's head.

"I'm fine." Tamaki reassured the blonde, inwardly thanking her stars that her aunt didn't freak out earlier when she saw the bandage.

"I saw Midorimacchi." Kise told her with a sour look on his face.

Tamaki looked a little surprised at this before she frowned. "Honestly, I don't get along with him very well," she admitted.

Kise laughed. "Now that you mention it, you're right." He then turned serious. "That left hand of his is no joke however. Especially on good days for Cancers." Kise sighed. "Well, seems like he just came today to watch the game." He shrugged. "First, you turned me down, and then I lost today's game. Everything's going wrong with my high school life right now." He whined. Kise then started to balance his basketball on top of his head, a quirk that he always did even back in middle school. "I didn't expect you to say yes, but I was serious."

"You'll fall over." Tamaki warned, seeing Kise leaning backwards a little too much to be safe. She then sighed. "I'm sorry.

Kise leapt down onto the ground and grinned at her, letting the ball roll into his hand. "I'm kidding," he said. "Anyway, I wanted to ask you for your reason. Why did you disappear right after the middle school championship game?" Kise asked as he tossed the basketball towards Tamaki who caught it simply.

Tamaki stayed silent for several moments.

**XXXXXX**

The Seirin team split up after their meal, though Riko was worried about Tamaki's sudden disappearance because of her head injury. Her aunt reassured the coach however, telling her that Tamaki had a habit of pulling disappearing tricks like that, even when she was back in middle school.

Riko wasn't satisfied however, and decided to go looking for her, as the small girl was looking a little too pale for her liking earlier, and thus, the entire team was roped into searching for her.

"Geez…" Kagami muttered in annoyance as he walked past a park in search for his phantom-like teammate. The sounds of a basketball dribbling caught his attention, and he grinned. _'Street ball. It's been a while since I've seen that in Japan.' _The redhead was then taken aback as he spotted a familiar shade of blue hair through the fence, with a familiar blonde with her.

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki said nothing for several moments.

"…I'm not too sure either." Tamaki said at last, causing Kise to stare at her like she's an alien, clearly not expecting that kind of answer. "It is true that I began to question Teiko's policies because of the championship game. At that time, I felt that we lacked something."

"Sports are all about winning." Kise protested. "What could be more important?"

"I thought the same thing until recently." Tamaki told him. "So I still don't know exactly what's wrong with it. It's just that I do know that I hated basketball at that time." She admitted. "The feel of the ball. The squeak of basketball shoes. The swish of the net. I started playing because I loved the game, just like everyone in the Generation of Miracles, except for perhaps him."

Kise knew who the 'he' that Tamaki is referring to.

"But by the time that we're in our third year, I…don't know who you are anymore. The Generation of Miracles has changed too much. Even the way that we were playing…terrifies me. The way that all of us delights in _flattening _our opponents, humiliatingthem, completely dismantlingthem…" She trailed off, and Kise looks away, because he knew that it is the truth. "I can't stand playing like that. The team changed without me even realising it. And when I realised it, I couldn't bring myself to speak out, as you guys have been there for me all along. But I can't stand seeing the team play like that, especially at the last game."

Tamaki tossed the basketball back to Kise. "Basketball soon became nothing more than a tool for victory to the Generation of Miracles. No one enjoyed it anymore. That…is not basketball." She admitted. "The Teiko basketball club is more than just a club to us – the Generation of Miracles, especially Sei." She continued, not realising that Kagami is hiding behind a corner, listening to their conversation. "Did any of them tell you how the basketball club came to be?"

Kise shook his head. "No. In the first place, I only came to Teiko because of their reputation for their sports clubs, especially basketball," he admitted. "I only started playing it because I admired _him."_

Tamaki smiled. "I remembered that," she said. She then turned serious. "The basketball club was in ruins when Sei and I entered Teiko during our first year. Like him, Sei _loves _basketball. That's why, when he saw how the seniors at that time was managing the club—though ruining it should be a more accurate description, Sei couldn't just sit still." Tamaki's eyes darkened when she recalled that dark year. "We built the basketball club up to what it now is – the Generation of Miracles. I shall tell you, Kise-kun. The history of the Teiko Basketball Club."

* * *

_A/N: It'll be pretty much a full original chapter from the next chapter onwards. It'll last for about two to three chapters, I think, since I'm going to write about their history in Teiko, and just how the Generation of Miracles met each other, and became known as a formidable team._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please review! Reviews give me motivation to update!_


	5. Days of the Past

_Differences from canon: _Well, before I actually started writing this story, I read only two other gender bend stories in the Kuroko no Basuke fandom, and I didn't like how it follows _too _closely to canon, with only slight differences because the main character is now a girl. I like those two stories, but there are times when I can't help wishing that they will make more changes to the storyline rather than follow _too _closely to the manga or anime.

_About the Generation of Miracles: _I pretty much like all of them, though I don't like Murasakibara too much, especially with the recent manga chapters when it shows Kuroko having a face off with him because Murasakibara actually caused a fellow player to quit the team because of his words. I'm not too sure how I'm going to depict him, but I guess it will really depend on how I'm going to take this story.

_About Kagami: _I really didn't expect for others to _not _like Kagami as well. Yeah, I don't like him too much, especially during the start. And I rarely see conflicts between him and Kuroko in canon, so yeah, there are going to be quite a few in this story, particularly after he hears about Teiko's past (Tamaki isn't going to be happy with him once she realizes that he had been eavesdropping!), and could understand them slightly.

_Seirin meeting Akashi: _I'm probably making Seirin meet Akashi early. Maybe just before their match with Kirisaki Daichi. I seriously doubt that Akashi would miss out on seeing that match, especially considering what had happened in the past. Though Seirin _would not _be aware of Akashi's bet with Tamaki.

_Teiko's history: _It is going to be pretty rough and dark for them during the first year or so, and I'll also probably explain just _why _the Generation of Miracles have all turned out the way they are.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Five: Days of the Past**

"_Because they changed. He changed." - Kuroko Tamaki_

**XXXXXX**

Kagami who was hiding behind a corner, just behind a fence, simply _could not_ bring himself to interrupt Kise and Tamaki's conversation the moment that he had heard the words out of Tamaki's mouth. He knew that it's wrong, eavesdropping on the two former teammates like this, but he simply couldn't help himself. And the redhead giant had a feeling that Tamaki most probably wouldn't be too pleased with him should she catch him.

And if truth be told, Kagami is kind of curious too.

About the Generation of Miracles, Tamaki's basketball, about the famous Teiko basketball club, and about the strength of the Generation of Miracles themselves. Just what is basketball to them?

"The history…of the Teiko Basketball Club?" Kise echoed slowly, and Tamaki nodded.

"Sei and I grew up together, and only the Generation of Miracles knew that we're cousins." Tamaki begun.

Kise nodded at this. "I know that," he replied. "I remember wondering for some time when I was in the second string why is it that he is so overly friendly with you, and the others didn't even seem to care, when they turned on their famous glares to any of the other players who tried to hit on you. _He _especially was particularly ferocious." Kise chuckled, remembering his first days with the Teiko basketball club as a member of the Generation of Miracles.

"When Sei's parents were still…together—" Tamaki said carefully, trying not to use the word 'divorce'. "—and when my parents were still…_around—" _Tamaki looked sad at this. "—they were often busy, and thus, both Sei and I were often left in Aunt Yuki's restaurant. But as she had a business to run then, it isn't like she can take care of us. Thus, Sei and I often spent our time playing rounds of basketball at the nearby court by ourselves." She glanced over at the nearby street basketball court, and Kagami has to duck to prevent himself from getting discovered by his particularly observant teammate. "At that time, we were around five or six years old then. That's where we started basketball, and where our love for the game stemmed from."

"Street basketball." Kise stated, and Tamaki nodded.

"Unlike Midorima-kun, Kise-kun and even Murasakibara-kun, we didn't start off playing 'official basketball'. The basketball that Sei and I learned is from street basketball. In other words, a game with no rules and no limits. That's where Sei and I both developed our play styles from."

Kise was silent for several moments, remembering the fearsome play style of the captain of the Generation of Miracles. It isn't as elegant as Midorima, or as feral as Aomine, and neither is it an absolute style of defence and blocking like Murasakibara, but it is still fearsome on its own.

Japan's strongest point guard, Akashi Seijuro.

Even Tamaki's play style before she had developed her misdirection style…

In the sport of basketball, it is difficult to circulate shots or passes when you are moving, especially at high speeds, yet Tamaki can do it with no problem at all. Most people have assumed by now that the nickname of 'the phantom player' had come about _after _Tamaki had started developing her misdirection style. But in actual fact, it had already come about even _before _it.

Her original play style utilises _speed. _

In other words, Tamaki is moving so quickly that shots are made and passes are circulated even before the opposing team realises what is going on. Her own team also has to pay close attention to the ball as well, or they could very well miss a pass made by Tamaki.

While Akashi's play style is fearsome, Tamaki's style is more elegant.

"We both went to Teiko because it is near both our homes, and it has a good reputation for the sports clubs. Sei was so eager to see just what the basketball club was like that he somehow managed to keep himself up the entire night, thus oversleeping on the first day of school." Tamaki rolled her eyes, and Kise chuckled, finding it difficult to imagine their serious captain acting like that once upon a time. And then again, Tamaki is the only one whom Akashi shows his true self around. The both of them changed after the incident in second year, and when Tamaki's parents have passed away. She used to express a lot more emotion before that, and even smiled more. "We were both excited to be able to come to Teiko. But the basketball club…wasn't quite what we expected."

**XXXXXX**

_~First Year of Teiko Middle School, Spring~_

"Why didn't you wake me up sooner?" Akashi wailed as he ran down the street with his cousin close behind him, his school bag bumping against his legs as he did so. "We're going to be _laaaate _for the entrance ceremony!"

A bit of toast is in his mouth whilst his hands were busy knotting the necktie around his neck, but it is obvious that he has _completely _no idea how to tie it. Before middle school, he never had any chance to wear a tie, and his new middle school uniform now actually comes with a _blazer._

Compared to his elementary school's uniform of an orange shirt and black shorts with a flat straw hat known as a boater, he prefers his middle school's uniform, as it doesn't make him look like some idiot. His red hair doesn't go very well with orange either, unfortunately. And neither does his cousin's light blue hair.

Teiko's boys wore a pale green collared shirt beneath a white blazer and black pants, with a dark green necktie to go with it. The girls wear a similar style, but only with a dark green butterfly tie in place of the necktie that the boys wore.

Behind him, his cousin looked annoyed. _"I _wasn't the one who slept through my alarm, was I?" Tamaki asked dangerously. "And just because you live down the street from me doesn't mean that I can wake you up the moment that I woke up!"

"Whatever!" Akashi groaned, as they rounded around a corner, _still _trying to knot his necktie, and the gates of Teiko Middle School came into view. Tamaki and Akashi have both seen the school only once, when their parents wanted to view the school for themselves, like most parents.

Teiko is a well-known name for their sports clubs, and that is one of the reasons why the two cousins wanted to come here, with the other reason being that this is probably the _only _school that has a good name and a good reputation for sports clubs being near both their homes.

Unlike most middle schools, the walls of the school buildings of Teiko were painted lime green, with a clock tower right in the middle. The school buildings were also separated into different sections. One section is meant for the classrooms, the second section is meant for the sports facilities like the gyms and such, whilst the third section is meant for the offices of the school – the teachers' lounge, the Student Council office, the janitor's room, and even the principal's office were all located in the third section.

Teiko had a relatively large courtyard as well, with a stone fountain in the middle of it. The students tend to hang around the courtyard during their lunch breaks, and there is even an Olympic sized indoor swimming pool located inside the second section.

And surprisingly, the school grounds were empty of students.

"Did we miss the entrance ceremony?" Akashi wailed, rushing into the school, and Tamaki looked annoyed.

'_Of course we did! What time do you think it is now?' _she thought irritably even as the clock tower chimed eight times – eight o'clock. _'I knew that I should have gone on ahead instead of trying to help Aunt Yuki to wake your lazy ass up!'_

The guard standing at the gates smiled at the two cousins even as they rushed in. "Overslept?" he asked sympathetically. "You've just missed the entrance ceremony. But don't worry. You should go and check on your class placements outside the first gym."

It didn't take the two of them long to find the first gym, as the both of them have explored the school thoroughly on the day when their parents were here at Teiko to see the school for themselves.

A large crowd of students were crowded outside the first gym where three notice boards were outside it, with lists pinned to it that Tamaki was sure were the class placements of the freshmen.

"I can't see it over their heads." Akashi frowned, standing on tiptoes to try to look over the sea of heads, but to no avail.

"Well, I'm not going to try to fight my way to the front." Tamaki stated, even as she took her cousin's undone necktie in her hands, and started knotting it for him. "Let's just wait for the crowd to thin out."

A shadow fell on Tamaki just then, and she looked up only to see a familiar purple haired giant wearing Teiko's uniform, with a lollipop in his mouth. Several students were giving him startled looks, and Tamaki caught the words of 'big', 'is he really a freshman?', among many others.

Tamaki gave a small smile to an old friend of hers and her cousin's, seeing as how Murasakibara Atsushi had been a classmate of theirs back in their old elementary school after he had transferred into their class during their final year.

"Atsushi-kun." Tamaki greeted.

"Hime-chan." Murasakibara mumbled around his lollipop. "Aka-chin." He greeted the redhead. "Didn't see you both at the entrance ceremony earlier. Did you oversleep?" Akashi didn't bother with a reply, and Murasakibara grinned. "Well, your class placements…" Murasakibara looked over the sea of heads, and since he is so tall, he could see it properly. "Aka-chin is with me in 1-A. Hime-chan is in 1-B."

"Well, we'll meet up for lunch later then." Tamaki told a disgruntled Akashi and a happy Murasakibara even as she departed from the gym, heading towards the first section to find her classroom.

The freshmen classrooms were all located on the same level, and even with the number of excited students around, Tamaki found her classroom with no problem. In fact, even as she slid the door opened, she noted that there were already a few students present in the classroom, but they paid no attention to her. Or rather, chances are that they probably _didn't _notice her.

Tamaki sighed inwardly to herself at this. Her astonishingly lack of friends throughout her school years before middle school isn't really her fault, per se. It's just that Tamaki herself is difficult enough to notice as it is, what with her quiet and aloof nature. As far as she knew, the only ones outside her parents and aunt who could notice her easily is only her cousin.

Sure, this trait of hers helps a lot in basketball as well, but sometimes, it can get annoying, especially when a few classmates mistook her as a ghost during elementary school, and that's when all the rather cruel jokes started.

Tamaki made her way down the aisle, approaching a back seat by the window, with the seat being just in front of a tan boy with short dark blue hair who is staring out of the window.

"Excuse me, is this seat taken?" Tamaki asked softly.

The boy jumped about a mile in the air, and slid his chair backwards, clutching at his chest like he had just suffered from a heart attack.

"W-Who are you? When did you get here?" he stammered. "A-Are you some sort of ghost?"

Tamaki raised an eyebrow, showing no expression outwardly whilst inwardly, she is sighing to herself. Is she really going to face this same question at every new school that she goes to?

"Ghosts don't appear in broad daylight," she answered bluntly. "And I've been here from the start. Is this seat taken?" She asked again.

The boy wheezed for a few moments before seeming embarrassed at his outburst, especially with the way that the few students in the classroom have been staring at him like he's some alien.

"Sorry. Yeah, you can have the seat," he muttered, a faint blush on his cheeks, visible even with his tan. "I'm Aomine Daiki." He grinned at her, showing his brilliant teeth, holding out an outstretched hand.

Tamaki gave a small smile, receiving the handshake. "Kuroko Tamaki."

* * *

Aomine couldn't help it. He laughed, inviting some odd looks from his fellow freshmen as he walked down the classroom hallway with Tamaki, even as the final bell for the day went off, his bag slung over one shoulder, and a basketball tucked beneath one arm.

The first three days of school are usually more of an ice breaker kind of thing for the students, particularly the freshmen, as the students all try to get back into the routine of school, and for the freshmen to get used to their middle school life.

"So you're saying that you tend to slip past people's notice because of your lack of presence?" Aomine chuckled, finding the situation quite funny now, recalling just how he was nearly startled out of his skin just a few hours ago.

Tamaki sighed. "Aomine-kun, you're laughing too much," she reprimanded.

"Sorry. Sorry." Aomine chuckled.

He then quickly changed the topic, noticing that Tamaki seems to be getting a little annoyed. After years of having dealt with Satsuki, he had quite a few guidelines to follow when dealing with girls. Rule No. 01: Never insult a girl. They have a surprisingly long term memory concerning vengeance and grudges, the complete opposite of how a guy's mind works.

"So looks like we have to pick our clubs." Aomine commented, glancing at the list in Tamaki's hand that was given out to every student in their class earlier by their form teacher. It is a list of the various clubs in the school, and where their booths are located for club orientation that day. It isn't really _required _for them to join a club, like what their teacher had explained, but it'll be good for them to have one. "Well, what are you going to join?"

The tanned teen doesn't know what's wrong with him, since the only girl whom he even hangs around with is his childhood friend Momoi Satsuki who acts more like an older sister to him—a _bossy _older sister, though he would never say that to her face if he values his life.

Most girls looked disgusted with him the moment that he started talking about blonde babes and big boobs, but Tamaki only looked amused at this and muttered something about 'being boys' typical behaviour'. He likes hanging around with the quiet blue haired girl – she is different from other girls, and isn't rowdy or _loud. _Ouch. And just her mere presence alone helps to calm him down.

Tamaki didn't answer for a minute as she let her eyes wander towards the sports section of the list. "I was thinking basketball," she said at last.

Aomine was surprised. "Are you serious? I didn't think that I'd ever meet another girl that is as crazy over basketball like Satsuki. You'll probably get along with her," he said. He then frowned. "But is there even a girls' basketball team in Teiko? I don't remember seeing any."

"Well, there is no rule against a girl actually joining a boys' team, so if there isn't a girls' team, then I'll just join the boys' team then." Tamaki shrugged unconcernedly, ignoring Aomine's gobsmacked expression. "And if that basketball is of any indication, then you're probably going to join the basketball club too." She added, glancing at the basketball beneath Aomine's arm.

Aomine grinned. "Damn right!" he said. "I think that they're receiving registrations over at the first gym." He mused. "You meeting anyone first?" He asked, suddenly aware that Tamaki might have her own friends.

To his surprise, Tamaki shook her head. "Only my cousin. And knowing him, he has probably forgotten all about me, and had gone off straight to the gym to sign up for the basketball club as well, considering the fact that I hadn't seen him when we passed by classroom 1-A earlier." She looked annoyed.

Aomine laughed. "I think I'm going to like you—and your cousin," he snickered, receiving several weird looks from the nearby students even as they headed straight to the second section where the first gym is located – the same place where the entrance ceremony was held just that morning.

The doors of the first gym were all opened, showing the basketball court with the shiny floors, and the goals. There were even several students in Teiko basketball club's light blue and white jerseys. And there were even two tables inside the gym by the side, with four seniors sitting at the tables, taking down the names of new club members. There was even quite a large crowd both outside and inside the gym – most probably freshmen here to sign up for the basketball club.

But Tamaki and Aomine were focused on none of these.

They were more concerned with the _game _that is currently happening on the courts—if you could even call it that. One team seems to be made up of the current regulars on the basketball team – judging by their light blue and white basketball jerseys. And the other team seems to be made up of freshmen in sports attires, as one of their members was one of their new classmates in class 1-B.

One of the freshmen was on the ground, clutching his stomach in pain, whilst another player was by his side, concern on his face. There were angry looks on the faces of several of the students standing around, but no one seemed to dare to go up against the seniors.

"What is going on?" Aomine asked a nearby freshman with green hair and glasses, bandages around his left hand for some reason, and he is carrying a small bear with him.

The teen looked at him oddly, pushing his glasses up his nose with his left hand before answering. "They asked for a friendly match with the seniors," he answered. "And they're pretty good, even managing to get at least twenty points ahead of the seniors." He jerked his chin towards the scoreboard where both Aomine and Tamaki saw the scores on the board was _38-15, _with the freshmen team in the lead. "And well…" The green haired teen coughed into his hand, and an angry look appeared on his face for only a second before fading away again. "Apparently, the seniors didn't take it too well, and thus, resorted to…er…_rough play."_

Tamaki isn't stupid. She understood immediately what their fellow freshman was trying to tell them, and she narrowed her eyes.

"Why didn't anyone get the teachers?" she asked, and the green haired teen looked at her oddly, as if just noticing that she is there.

"I guess that you hadn't heard," he mused. "The current regulars of the first string that they are playing against now are the sons of some of the members of the School Board – the financial side, to be exact. That's why no one had the guts to stand against them. Their parents could easily cause some problems for the school. Though between you and me…" He lowered his voice. "I doubt that their parents were even _aware _of their sons' behaviour in the basketball club."

Tamaki narrowed her eyes dangerously at the seniors on the court. She is seriously starting to get _pissed._

One of the seniors, apparently the captain, stood over the downed freshman, an arrogant smirk on his face, a basketball in his hand. "Well? Where's all your big talk now? Can't get up?" he sneered.

"That's playing dirty!" Some student within the crowd shouted angrily, and there were murmurs of agreement.

"Why don't you play it fair and square if you think you're so good?" Another student shouted.

"Silence!" Another regular roared. "You freshmen should know your place! In the basketball club, our word is law! You don't go against us!"

"If you think you're so good, then have a taste of this!" The captain growled, throwing the basketball in his hand straight at the downed freshman.

The ball never hit it's intended target, as it was quickly smacked away by an extremely _angry _blue haired girl who had seemingly appeared out of nowhere in front of her fellow freshman, her left arm outstretched because of the action of hitting the ball away.

"What the—! Where did you come from?" The captain was bewildered.

The other surrounding students whispered to their friends.

"Did you notice her?"

"Where did she come from?"

"Don't tell me, is she some sort of ghost or ninja?"

"Shut up!"

Aomine paled upon seeing that Tamaki had vanished from his side all of a sudden, and is currently in the danger zone. "Tamaki! What are you doing?" he cried out, and even the green haired teen seems concerned about the girl's safety.

Both of them missed the sudden pale face of a redhead standing just ten paces away from them, or a purple haired giant that is next to the redhead.

The captain glared down at the small girl who is standing protectively in front of her fellow freshman, as another player on the freshmen team quickly took him away to one side, both of them nodding gratefully to Tamaki. They looked startled however, at her sudden appearance from 'out of nowhere'.

"You got a problem, girlie?" The captain sneered at Tamaki, and her eye twitched. _Girlie? _

"What you're playing now…is not basketball." Tamaki stated, glaring at the captain with such ferocity that even Aomine was surprised. Tamaki looked _pissed. _"Basketball isn't a tool to hurt people."

The watching freshmen cheered her on.

"You said it!"

"Go tell him!"

"What did you say?" The captain roared, grabbing Tamaki by her collar, and the enraged shouts from the watching freshmen increased.

Aomine was about to move into the gym to help the blue haired girl. But before he can even move another step, a hand landed on the captain's shoulder, and the guy turned to look over his shoulder only to gape at a towering purple haired freshman standing behind him who is glaring at him.

"Let her go." Murasakibara Atsushi demanded, all signs of playfulness and his usual child-like behaviour gone.

A hand grabbed the captain's arm just then and squeezed it _hard,_ attracting his attention, and the senior then turned his attention back towards the front only to see a scary looking redhead glowering at him, his red and gold eyes threatening to drill holes into his head.

"Hey. Take your filthy hand off her before I cut it off." Akashi Seijuro threatened, and a pair of shiny and sharp scissors appeared in his left hand like magic. And by the sounds and looks of it, he definitely isn't kidding.

"You think you freshmen can just waltz in here and start demanding things?" The captain snarled, feeling his courage start to return as he glanced at his fellow regulars (and fellow bullies).

If it's even possible, Akashi looked even more pissed off.

"Are you deaf? I said, _take your filthy hand off her!" _Akashi snarled, actually stabbing the scissors towards the hand of the captain grabbing his cousin. Wanting to preserve his arm, the captain immediately withdrew his hand just in time. The redhead then moved protectively in front of Tamaki, still looking pissed. "You lay a finger on her again, and the next time, I'll cut that limb off." He threatened, still with scissors in hand.

The basketball club regulars looked a little uneasy at that tone, and at that sharp scissors. What is with this kid? Is he some sort of psychopath?

The captain looked angry. "Are you threatening me?" he growled. "I can make your lives very miserable in this school."

"I like to see you try!" Akashi growled before he stomped out of the gym, with the surrounding students making way for him, parting ways for him rather like Moses parting the Red Sea. Murasakibara walked after him, his long strides making it easy for him to catch up to the redhead's fast ones. Tamaki followed after them, jogging after the two males.

The blue haired girl spotted a bewildered looking Aomine and a rather confused looking green haired teen beside him, and she bowed to the both of them politely before running after her cousin and his friend.

"_Sei!"_

**XXXXXX**

Kise was silent.

He did wonder a few times when he had entered Teiko in his second year why it is a second year who is the basketball club captain, and not a senior. And of the hundred plus members in their club, there is not one who is a senior.

"So what happened after that?" Kise asked. "I mean, Teiko won the first National championship, right? That's when the Generation of Miracles made their debut, I recall. You guys must have done something."

Tamaki was quiet for several moments. "Yeah, we did," she said. "Sei was _so _furious at that time that he was nearly spitting fire. And come to think of it, it must be from _that time _when he started carrying a scissors around with him. Apparently, Sei got the idea that it intimidates people. He only had that scissors with him that day as he packed it into his bag by mistake."

Kise sweat dropped. So the number of death threats on his life throughout middle school is for intimidation purposes? Does their former captain really have a few screws loose like what the rumours around the school were saying?

"How did you reform the basketball club?" Kise asked, changing the topic quickly. He has no desire to spend the day talking about their former captain and his weird tendencies to _stab _people who do not listen to him with a pair of _scissors._

Tamaki gave a small smile. "It took us some time to get Sei to calm his head down first though," she said. "He was angry after seeing what the regulars at that time wanted to do to a bunch of freshmen just because they're younger and better than them at basketball. And of course, the fact that the captain at that time had threatened me didn't help any matters."

Kise frowned. The captain at that time is a very lucky guy to have graduated when Kise had started at Teiko, as second year after the incident had occurred is when the Generation of Miracles have all started acting like a group of mama bears protecting their cubs. In this case, Tamaki.

Let's just say that the captain will be lucky to be alive once the Generation of Miracles are done with him.

"And well, Sei wasn't happy either when he saw how the seniors 'played'." Tamaki said sarcastically, making air quotes. "He might have some…_violent tendencies, _but Sei isn't violent by nature. He values a fair game, and he hates players who use rough play."

Kise blinked. So that's why Akashi was so _furious _back in second year with Hanamiya Makoto's team. The blonde had sworn at that time that the redhead captain was nearly spitting fire like an angry dragon after the coach had carried Tamaki to the hospital.

"'That is not basketball'." Tamaki stated. "That's what he had said, and what I had felt too at that time. To have the game that he loves being violated like that, Sei wasn't happy. Thus, he came up with a plan." Tamaki glanced at Kise. "A plan to create a new basketball club from scratch, and to demolish the old one."

**XXXXXX**

_~First Year of Teiko Middle School, Spring~_

"Sei, calm down!"

Tamaki finally managed to catch up to her cousin and the purple haired giant in the courtyard of the school, feeling pretty much out of breath. Sure, she feels angry with how the seniors have treated the freshmen players as well, but this is actually the first time that she had seen her cousin getting _this _pissed.

"You're telling me to calm down after seeing _that?"_ Akashi demanded, gesturing with his hand into the direction of the first gym where they have just came from.

"It doesn't help anyone if you're angry." Tamaki told him sensibly. "Cool your head down!" Akashi took in several deep breaths before his eyes lost the angry look. "Better?"

Akashi nodded. "That…is not basketball," he said quietly. "No way is _that _basketball."

"What are you going to do, Aka-chin? Are you still going to join the club?" Murasakibara asked, popping a few gummie bears into his mouth.

"No way," was Akashi's quick reply. "I got a better idea." Tamaki decided that she didn't like that evil glint in her cousin's eyes. "I'm going to make them rue the day that they decided to play _that _kind of basketball. We'll make our own team." He declared.

Tamaki blinked. "Huh?"

"Sounds interesting," said a voice behind them, and all three turned around only to see Aomine with the green haired teen from earlier. "Mind if we join in?"

Akashi frowned. "For starters, who are you?" he asked bluntly.

"Aomine Daiki. Class 1-B. Nice to meet you." Aomine waved.

The boy next to him adjusted his glasses with his left hand. "Midorima Shintaro. Class 1-D. Nice to meet you," he said politely. "So I'm a little interested to hear about this…idea of yours. A new varsity team?" He asked with interest. "You do realise that the current regulars are the sons of the members of the School Board?"

"That's why we have to do this in public and in full view of everyone." Akashi had an evil grin on his face. "There are five of us, so that means the number for a full team in basketball matches are met. We'll challenge them, with the stakes being that whichever team that wins will have the right to be the varsity team and lead the club however that we wants to. The losing team can never join the basketball club ever again."

"And what makes you think that the School Board will even agree to this, or the players themselves?" Aomine asked.

Tamaki gulped inwardly when she saw the glint in her cousin's eyes at this question. That glint usually means that Sei is planning something. And whenever Sei is planning something, someone _always_ ends up unhappy.

**XXXXXX**

"And did the School Board agree?" Kise asked with interest.

"Not at first. But then Sei somehow managed to pull out a video recording of _that _match during orientation day and showed it to the entire School Board," said Tamaki, chuckling as she remembered how the faces of the regulars at that time had looked then. "I thought that the director of the School Board is going to explode when she saw what her son—who is also ironically the _captain _at that time—had done, or _tried _to do to a freshman, and then afterwards, to me. The other School Board members weren't too happy either. As the regulars at that time were notorious school bullies, their victims were forced to keep their mouths shut with the threat of being kicked out of school. That's why no one dared to report them."

"So the challenge match went on then." Kise wisely deduced, and Tamaki nodded.

"We got rather a large turnout, and I'm not surprised. The basketball club regulars aren't too popular in Teiko then," she said. "It was a total slaughter, with game count of 115 to 25. Apparently, they're better at intimidation and bullying than actual basketball skills. And as the School Board were all present too, along with the principal, they can't resort to their dirty tricks to 'win' matches like how they usually do."

Tamaki fell silent for several moments, remembering that first year. "So Sei got his wish. He got named captain, and the rest of us who played in that match got named as first string regulars. It got busy after that, as we were arranging tryouts to determine the positioning strings for the other members. At that time, we got quite a few problems from the seniors, particularly from the 'lapdogs' of the former regulars. They made the worst mistake of their lives when they tried to pick on me. Unfortunately for them, Murasakibara-kun happened to be passing by, and that ends the matter. Sei then decided that he had enough, and kicked out the players who are in league with _them. _And he got quite the discerning eye when trying to tell who are those in league with them, and who isn't. That includes nearly all the third years – the seniors at that time. We didn't have a coach then, as the director of the School Board dismissed the old coach, and went about finding another one. It was then when we brought in Satsuki as our manager."

"Oh, Satsuki-cchi?" Kise pondered. "I was wondering how she became the manager. I thought at first it was because of _him. _Because, you know, she _is _his childhood friend." He shrugged.

"Well, he recommended her, but Satsuki knows her stuff. Even when the coach came, Satsuki is the one to draw up our training regimes, diet plans, and all that." Tamaki answered. "And you should know by now that she is no ordinary manager. Just how many times has she saved our lives back in middle school?" She reprimanded Kise, defensive of her best female friend since middle school.

Kise grinned. "Well, none of the Generation of Miracles are normal or ordinary," he said. "So the club stabilised after that, right?"

Tamaki nodded. Her face then darkened considerably, and she rubbed at her left wrist unconsciously. "Second year… It is when the first changes occurred in the Generation of Miracles." Kise looked confused. "It is when _all _of you started changing. It is when _he _changed. And it is also when…everything started going wrong."

* * *

_A/N: I know that Tamaki and maybe even Akashi seems a little OOC here, but please remember that this is during their freshman year in middle school. They are bound to act differently then. Second year is the catalyst that is responsible for the changes in the Generation of Miracles (eg. the match with Hanamiya, when Tamaki's parents died, and the divorce of Akashi's parents)._

_Things will get a little serious next chapter. Also, on a side note, have you noticed FF's new policy regarding the fiction ratings? There is this petition that is currently going around, and I urge all of you to sign it. Maybe it'll help save many of our stories, and even some of our favourites from getting deleted for no reason. I'm almost afraid to update **any **of my stories because of it!_

_Also, I will also greatly appreciate it if you can go to this website: falling-leaves-stories . com. It is my personal story site where there are not only some of my more popular FF stories up there for external viewing and download, but also some of my original stories. I will appreciate it if you can help me spread the word, since my advertising skills are currently in question, and I hadn't had as many views as I would like on there. I like to know if there is at least **someone **who is reading it._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	6. Your Basketball

_Generation of Miracles: _Yes, they're pretty friendly here, as they were all teammates and the closest of friends at some point during their Teiko days. I mean, it is pretty obvious from their interactions with each other in the manga and the anime that they all had mutual respect and understanding for each other, even if some of them don't get along all that well (eg. Midorima and Kuroko). It will be explained why their personalities changed so much by the time they started high school that every single one of them seems to hate basketball so much that even playing it seems like a chore.

_Overprotective Akashi: _Well, I _did _mention that Akashi is going to be pretty different in this story as compared to his canon counterpart. Yes, he is still scary and fearful, but that is only to people outside his friends and family.

_Tamaki's injury: _Yes, I will pretty much be going more into depth in this chapter, but not too much, as I don't want to ruin the surprise I had for you once we get to the match between Seirin and Kirisaki Daichi.

_Aomine and Tamaki: _Apparently, a lot of people (my friends on Tumblr) aren't too impressed with Aomine, especially with how mean he is to Kuroko, and then making him cry after the first match between Touou and Seirin. But look at it from another point of view. Aomine found the game boring after he got _too _strong, and his opponents lose heart when playing against him. Not just him, but the _entire _Generation of Miracles. And at the same time, Kuroko is starting to feel disheartened, and maybe useless, as Aomine is practically ignoring him in matches. He wanted Aomine to get into the game again and feel the same love for it that he once did. But Aomine feels that Kuroko leaving is 'betraying' him in a sense, and maybe like Midorima and Kise, feels that Seirin isn't good enough for Kuroko. That's why he went all out on Seirin the first time the way he did. The manga never did go into depth about their relationship. As the pairing is Aomine/Tamaki, I will go through relationship development. Some of the development will actually start in the Past Arc (past in Teiko), so those who are eagerly waiting for some fluff, enjoy!

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Six: Your Basketball**

"_I won't lose. Not to anyone." - Kise Ryota_

**XXXXXX**

"When…we changed?" Kise echoed in confusion, tilting his head to one side. "What do you mean?"

Tamaki glanced at her blonde friend. "I doubt that any of you even realised it, especially _him." _The blue haired girl looked sad. From behind the fence, Kagami frowned. 'Him'? "Then again, I'm not surprised either. Many things have happened that year after all, during second year. I didn't even realise it myself until third year." Kise said nothing as Tamaki glanced towards the side at the small mini match that a group of boys, most probably middle schoolers, were having among each other. Just a friendly game among friends. She was silent for several moments, just watching the game. "Do you remember the day when you've first joined the team?" Tamaki asked at last, turning her attention back towards Kise.

The blonde smiled in remembrance of that day. "Of course I do," he said, smiling fondly as he recalled that memory. "Tamacchi scolded me soundly that day. You refused to allow me entry as an actual player on first string, let alone being a regular, yet you didn't tell me why, telling me to go and figure it out myself before coming back. I was so angry at that time. I remembered thinking that you can't be that good, being the only girl on the team. And I didn't understand what you had meant then." He admitted, flushing in embarrassment of that day. "But it's thanks to that that I actually understood just what is it that I lacked, and managed to grow strong—strong enough to actually be a member of the Generation of Miracles."

**XXXXXX**

_~Second Year of Teiko, Spring~_

"Sorry, Tamaki-chan, asking you to help me with these!" Momoi Satsuki grinned sheepishly at her best friend as the two girls carried boxes containing wristbands and ankle bands, walking into the first gym where majority of the members of the first and second strings were starting their drills and warm up exercises. The only members of the regulars of the first string that were present were only Aomine and Midorima, both who were performing their own warm up exercises, and occupying their own side of the gym. "Dai-chan is an idiot, running off before I could even ask him to help me carry these to the gym!" She huffed in anger as she glared at her childhood friend who is fortunately on the other side of the gym.

"It's all right. I was heading the same way anyway." Tamaki reassured her friend before glancing at the wristbands and ankle bands that she could see. "Are these increased weights?" She asked with interest.

Satsuki nodded. "You guys seemed to be handling it well enough by now. So I thought that I should increase the weights." She shrugged. "Might help to increase their speed and stamina."

"Any increase for me, Satsuki?" Tamaki asked, and her friend looked incredulously at her.

"You still want _more _increase?" Satsuki almost groaned. "I swear, you're as much of a basketball idiot like Dai-chan! If you grow any faster, Tamaki-chan, even _we _won't be able to see you when you move! Akashi-kun might have named you the phantom player, but he doesn't mean it literally!"

Tamaki managed a small amused smile at this.

Teiko had clinched their first championship medal at the National championship the previous year under the captainship of Akashi Seijuro, _then _the championship at the Winter Cup. And the fun part is that _all _the starting members were all first years. They had some fun thrashing their opponents the previous year—all the opponents who have underestimated them just because they're freshmen, and have then walked off the court, leaving them gaping like goldfish, with the game score usually a full hundred points ahead of their opponents.

Talks of Teiko's team had started circulating around all the other schools after they've _breezed _through their first National championship, and their very amused coach had even told them that some school had nicknamed them the 'Generation of Miracles' because of their unusual and beautiful plays, and because they're all first years.

Aomine had found it very funny, and had said as much. Hence, during the new school year, the number of new students enrolling at Teiko _and _joining the basketball club had an almost 110 percentage increase, as compared to last year. As a result, the number of fangirls that the 'Generation of Miracles' had, had also increased drastically, much to their dismay.

Aomine and Tamaki are still in the same class that year in class 2-B, only Satsuki is in their class too. Midorima somehow found himself sharing the same class as Murasakibara in 2-D, much to his annoyance. Akashi found himself in 2-C, and didn't seem to mind that he isn't in any of the classes of his friends and teammates.

"So?" Satsuki suddenly grinned a Cheshire cat grin, turning towards Tamaki who had a sudden bad feeling. Whenever Satsuki grins _that _grin, nothing good ever happens. "What do you think of Dai-chan?"

Tamaki felt a sudden blush rising up her cheeks, and she turned away quickly. "W-What do you mean?"

"Hmm…" Satsuki peered closely at Tamaki, grinning like the cat that had just caught the canary. "Oh, I don't know. Just that the last time that I was over at his place, his mother told me that Dai-chan simply couldn't _stop _talking about you. So?" Satsuki's grin turned almost predatory. "What do you _really _think about him?"

Fortunately, Tamaki was saved from having to answer by a loud shout that had came from the court that the first string regulars – the Generation of Miracles, were occupying. The blue haired girl looked up only to see her cousin talking with a blonde who looks almost like some sort of model.

"Tamaki, come here for a sec!" Akashi called to his cousin.

Grateful for an excuse to escape the claws of the cat that the basketball team called their manager and her best friend, Tamaki immediately placed down the box that she was carrying by the side of the court near the bleachers, and almost _ran _to her cousin.

"What is it?" Tamaki asked, glancing at the blonde next to her cousin.

She recognised this boy as the new transfer student in 2-A, since nearly every girl in the school had turned into a silly squealing fangirl whenever he is around. And from what she had heard from Satsuki, he had just joined the basketball club earlier that spring, and soon made it into first string, though not as a regular, of course, since her cousin's standards are hard to reach. It'll take a lot to impress him in order to make it as a member of the Generation of Miracles.

"I'll make the introductions," said Akashi, gesturing towards the blonde. "This is Kise Ryota. She is Kuroko Tamaki." He told the blonde. "She is a regular of the first string. And from today onwards, she'll be your instructor."

"H-Huh?" Kise cried out. "Why her?"

Akashi looked annoyed, obvious only to Tamaki. "Because I said so," he said curtly. "Besides, coaching is her speciality. I'm counting on you, Tamaki." He told his cousin before lowering his voice. "Don't kill him." He then walked towards the court where the other Generation of Miracles were doing their warm ups. "Let's start with the drills!"

Tamaki glanced at Kise who is looking at her with a doubtful expression and with contempt. Well, this isn't the first time that a member of the basketball team had doubted her skills just because of her gender. Though any others who had that same doubt were rid of that notion very _very _quickly. Tamaki might look gentle and look as if she wouldn't hurt a fly, but she is one damn harsh taskmistress, like what her fellow regulars have complained last year before they had their coach, and both Satsuki and Tamaki were training the team.

"Come with me." Tamaki told Kise, bending down and picking up a lone basketball by her foot. "We're using another gym." Kise followed her reluctantly, and Tamaki then approached a group of second string players. "Can one of you come with me? I need your help with something."

The boys jumped, clearly not noticing her, before relaxing when they realised that it's Tamaki. They exchanged looks with each other before a smiling brunette stepped up, volunteering his services, and Tamaki gestured for him to follow them.

The blue haired girl then lead the two boys out of the first gym, and towards the fourth gym which is pretty much empty, as this was mainly used by the members of the third string, and none of them would come this early to train.

"So… Now what?" The second string player asked hesitantly, glancing at Tamaki uneasily. Anyone who had been in Teiko for at least a year is bound to have heard just what the famous group of the 'Generation of Miracles' are capable of, and what they had done to the previous basketball club before they have formed a new one.

Tamaki sighed, still with the basketball beneath one arm. "Stand in the middle, both of you," she instructed. "And face each other." They both obeyed, and Tamaki then tossed the ball towards Kise who caught it. "You're both going to go one-on-one with each other." She told the two surprised boys. She blew on the whistle around her neck. "Begin!"

Kise grinned to himself as the second string player blocked him instantly, not allowing him any leeway, or even anywhere near the goal. The blonde has to admit, he _is _pretty good, and would probably be promoted to first string in a few months. But unfortunately…

Kise made a feint towards the right, with his opponent falling for it, and he then made a dash towards the left when—

_Pheet!_

The two boys freeze in their movements before turning as one towards the only other person currently present in the gym. Tamaki had the whistle in between her lips as she blew on it, and she had an unreadable expression on her face.

"Okay. That's enough," she said. "You can return to the first gym now." She told the second string player who nodded and bowed to her politely before leaving the gym that they are in, closing the door behind him. Tamaki said nothing for several moments as she approached Kise, picking up the basketball that had slipped from the blonde's fingers earlier, and turned to face him, meeting him in the eye. "This can't do." She told him simply.

Kise was confused. "Huh?"

"You're playing for the wrong reason." Tamaki told him sternly. "I see no passion in your play…if you can even call it that." Is it just Kise, or is there disgust in her tone?

"What do you mean?" Kise frowned. What does she mean? Passion? Play? Reason?

Tamaki looked at him, an unreadable expression in her eyes before she sighed. "If you have to ask me this question, then you obviously don't understand it," she said. "That's the problem with geniuses like you. You learn things too easily."

Kise frowned. Why is she saying this like it's a bad thing? "So? What's the problem then?"

Tamaki looked at him. "You still don't get it?" she asked him, and Kise looked confused. She sighed. "You still don't understand. You don't understand the reason for it. The passion." She threw the basketball towards Kise's chest, and he caught it with both hands easily. Compared to all the other sports that he had tried before this, the basketball…felt almost too large and foreign in his hands. "The thing that you lack…is the most important thing for a basketball player." Tamaki told him coldly. "Come back once you realise what is it that you lack. Until then, consider your training on hold. I won't even consider you a member of the basketball team, let alone a first string player, until you realise just what is it that you lack."

**XXXXXX**

"I must admit, I was angry and confused at that time." Kise told Tamaki sheepishly, remembering how angry he had been. Come to think of it, it _did_ seem a little childish back then. "'What right does she have to tell me that?' was what I was thinking, among many others. But I just don't get it. I don't understand what you meant." He looked at the street basketball court next to them. "Maybe… Because at that time, I don't really _like _basketball at all." He admitted. "I only joined the basketball club at that time because I thought I'd found my next challenge."

"At that time, with just one look at you, I can tell immediately that you're the one type of player that usually, Sei would never permit to be on the team, let alone first string," said Tamaki. "That's why I didn't understand why he agreed to the promotion for you to be on first string in the first place."

Kise was curious. "Is that why he assigned you as my trainer?" he asked. He was honestly curious about it, even to this day. Just why did the captain of the Generation of Miracles assigned a fellow regular to be the personal instructor of a non-regular, even if he is a first string player? Did Akashi see some potential in him?

"Who knows?" Tamaki shrugged. "Not even I can read his mind, you know, as much as you and the others think that I could." Kise grinned, well aware about the rumours around the school about their captain. Some rumours were downright absurd, saying that he is some psychic, and that he has ESP or something, whatever that is. "What did you do then, after I had all but kicked you out?"

Kise grinned sheepishly. "Well…"

**XXXXXX**

_~Second Year of Teiko, Spring~_

"Like I'm telling you, it's no use even if you come complaining to me." Aomine told Kise, annoyed. It is currently lunchtime, and Aomine is balancing nearly a full tray of food in his hands. "Captain made the decision to have Tamaki as your instructor, and it shall stay as such unless he decided otherwise. The captain's word is law in the club, Kise. Not even the coach can do anything about it."

It had been nearly a week since the 'talk' that Tamaki had with Kise, and the blonde had complained to nearly every person that he knew of that would listen. The basketball club members however, were quick to reprimand Kise, telling him that if Tamaki had said that, then she must have a reason for it. Like all the other members of the Generation of Miracles, Tamaki commands some respect among the club members, even for someone as unnoticeable as her.

"Then what does she mean by what she said anyway?" Kise cried out. "I don't get it at all! And she had all but barred me from participating in practice until I can figure out what she meant! Is this some sort of riddle?"

Aomine looked at him oddly. "I'll advise you to listen to her, and listen _carefully." _The tanned teen told him. "If Tamaki said that you're lacking something, then she's most probably right. There must be a reason why the captain made her your instructor. She might be the only female regular on our team, but don't underestimate her. She's strong. If you can't pass her test, Akashi won't let you remain in first string, let alone becoming a regular." Aomine told Kise, much to his horror. "She said that your play is lacking the most important thing. Find out what that is."

"But what is _it?" _Kise asked in frustration. "That's what I've been trying to figure out for _days!"_

"I can't tell you." Aomine said. "It is something that you must figure out yourself. But first, let me ask you a question." Kise perked up at that. "Why do you play basketball?"

Kise blinked. "Huh?"

"For what reason do you play it?" Aomine asked the confused teen. "Why do you play the sport? Is there a reason you're playing basketball? Think about it. Tamaki's questions always had another meaning to it. We kind of figured that out by the time we played in the same team with her for six months." Aomine admitted before moving away.

Kise stared at Aomine's departing back before staring at his right hand, clenching it slowly into a fist. "The reason that I play basketball…" he muttered.

* * *

Due to him transferring during his second year, Kise was held up at the school, having to fill in some forms and handling several other important matters such as school tuition and such, that it was near dusk by the time he was able to leave the school.

"I'm tired… And I'm bored…" Kise frowned, walking along the pathway, pondering on what Aomine had told him earlier. Now if only he can just figure out what that girl had meant!

The sounds of a ball dribbling on the courts reaches his ears just then, and Kise paused in his tracks, looking into several directions at once before he spotted a street basketball court that he didn't even notice below him, with a set of stairs leading down to it. And two familiar people were having a one-on-one with each other.

_Aomine and Tamaki._

Aomine was trying to block Tamaki who had the ball, the girl who was trying to get past him. The tanned teen was waving his arms around, blocking her at every turn, yet he had a cheerful grin on his face as always.

"It's them." Kise muttered, looking at their practice.

Tamaki gave a small smile at her usual practice partner before she dodged beneath his guard and slipped past the taller teen, much to Kise's surprise. Even before Aomine could turn around, a shot from the three point line was made, and the ball bounced on the floors of the court.

Aomine laughed, not feeling upset at least that a girl had slipped past his defences and had scored a shot. "Nice, Tamaki!" he grinned. "You've been practicing! Ready for our match against Kitagawa next week?"

"Of course." Tamaki smiled at him. "Just like all of us are. It's the Inter High now."

Aomine nodded with a grin. "We'll make it to the Nationals. Just like how we did last year. We'll be the Number One in Japan again." He grinned.

Kise was silent. As he watched them practice, watched the both of them play, he saw what he had missed before whenever he participated in basketball practices. He saw that their faces…seemed to have _lit _up whenever their hands touched the ball, whenever they're just on the courts. They just…seemed different compared to when he saw them around the school or _off court._

_I see no passion in your play._

Kise stared at his clenched fist. _'What does she mean?'_

* * *

It was Sunday, and rather than laze about his home all day, Kise decided to just take a walk around town. Who knows, he might find something interesting to do, and maybe he can just figure out what that weird girl in his team means.

As it is a weekend, the streets are crowded, and rather than walk around and let those girls stare at him with hearts in their eyes, the blonde decided to move to one of the less populated areas. As he did so, he heard a familiar sound that he had long been accustomed to by now.

The sound of a ball dribbling against the courts.

The blonde saw a street basketball court rather like the one that he saw Aomine and Tamaki using just three nights ago when he was walking home after school. A middle aged woman with brown hair stood in the middle of the court, wearing a white polo tee and black shorts, with a pink whistle hanging around her neck, her hair tied in a high ponytail, a basketball tucked beneath one arm. Several children between the ages of six to twelve stood surrounding her. And there is even a basket with several basketballs in it next to the woman.

The woman blew sharply on her whistle, and the children immediately arranged themselves in two neat rows facing each other. She then handed down several basketballs to the children standing in one of the rows before blowing sharply on her whistle again. The children immediately threw the balls towards the kids standing opposite them who caught it simply with both hands without moving. Another blow of the whistle, and the kids threw the balls back to the children who had the balls originally.

Kise remembered this practice. It was one of the beginning drills that the manager had started him off, along with all the other newbies, when they've just joined the team at the start of spring. Her reasoning being that they need to 'memorise' the feel of the ball in their hands, and must know the ball better than they even know themselves before they can even dream of stepping onto the court.

"All right, into teams!" The woman called out, clapping her hands. The kids cheered before taking up positions on the court, dumping the balls that they're holding into the basket containing several other balls. The woman held a ball in her hand, the whistle in between her lips, as two kids stood eagerly, waiting for the ball.

Kise blinked. _'Tip off,' _he realised. They're playing a real game now.

The whistle was blown, and the game begun.

The blonde watched, entranced, as he saw the smiles on the children's faces, at the cheers and laughter as they got into the game. At the smile on their coach's face as she watched them just having _fun _because of the game.

_The thing that you lack…is the most important thing for a basketball player._

Kise recalled Tamaki's words to him.

"The thing that I lack…"

* * *

The bell had just gone off for lunch break just a few moments ago, and Kise made his way towards classroom 2-B where he knew Tamaki would be in. He had passed by her classroom several times and always saw her having her lunch in there with Satsuki and Aomine, each of them with their own bentos.

And sure enough, he saw the three of them eating their own bentos, with Aomine joining his desk together with Tamaki's back window seat, and Satsuki turning her desk around to join Tamaki's just so that she could join them for lunch. Kise knocked on the classroom door, and all three of them, along with whatever students that are still in the classroom looked up.

"Tamaki-san. Can I have a word?" he asked politely.

Tamaki eyed him for several moments before placing her chopsticks across her bento box. "I'll be right back," she told Aomine and Satsuki who both nodded, as they watched her exit the classroom, turning to face Kise. "Well? Have you found your answer?" She asked him.

"The thing that I lack…" Kise closed his eyes briefly.

_The blonde watched, entranced, as he saw the smiles on the children's faces, at the cheers and laughter as they got into the game. At the smile on their coach's face as she watched them just having **fun** because of the game._

"…the thing that I lack is…"

_Tamaki looked at him. "You still don't get it?" she asked him, and Kise looked confused. She sighed. "You still don't understand. You don't understand the reason for it. The passion." She threw the basketball towards Kise's chest, and he caught it with both hands easily. Compared to all the other sports that he had tried before this, the basketball…felt almost too large and foreign in his hands. "The thing that you lack…is the most important thing for a basketball player." Tamaki told him coldly._

Kise opened his eyes to meet Tamaki's clear blue ones.

"_You're playing for the wrong reason." Tamaki told him sternly. "I see no passion in your play…if you can even call it that." Is it just Kise, or is there disgust in her tone?_

"…Passion." Kise said softly, a soft look entering his eyes, and Tamaki raised an eyebrow. "The love for the game. The most important thing…for a basketball player."

Tamaki smiled gently at him, and Kise was taken aback at this look. She looked…prettier when she smiles. "Correct," she said. "How long did it take you to figure this out?"

"I don't know." Kise admitted. "Maybe I actually already knew the answer when I saw you and Aomine-san practicing at the street basketball court that night."

Tamaki raised a brow. "You were there?" she enquired, and Kise nodded. "Tell me what you saw."

"I saw…the love for the game that you both had." Kise admitted. "I went to one of the basketball practices the other day, even though you refuse to allow me to practice." Tamaki nodded. "I saw the mock game that the first string regulars had among themselves. I saw the love for the game that _they _had as well. The smiles on Aomine-san's face each time he got the ball. The smirks that Midorima had whenever he made a shot. The look in Murasakibara's eyes each time he blocked a shot. The proud look in the captain's eyes whenever he scored a basket. The look that you…had whenever you circulated the passes, or even made a shot." Tamaki smiled. "The passion…that each of you had for the game. You _love _the game. That's why you play it."

Tamaki nodded. "Correct," she said. "And it seems like you understand it now." Kise nodded silently. "Very well. You passed the first stage." Kise blinked owlishly. "Is basketball fun to you now?"

"Fun?"

Tamaki smiled. "Come to practice today," she said. "And be prepared for it. I got a month to whip you into shape to join the regulars. And the training won't be easy." She warned before walking back into her classroom to finish her lunch.

Kise grinned. "Sure, Tamacchi!"

**XXXXXX**

"It wasn't that long after that when we have to assist the second string players with their match, right?" Kise frowned, recalling something of that sort happening after Tamaki had started the _actual _instructing process of his training.

He winced at the mere memory of it. He could barely move properly for weeks after that!

"Well, it was kind of like the trial for you to prove your ability to Sei." Tamaki explained. "Sure, I can give the recommendations and such to promote you to the first string regulars, but the final decision still lies with him, as it's the first string regulars that we're talking about here."

"And well… After that was when…" Kise looked uncomfortable as he shifted uneasily on his feet, glancing at Tamaki who had a dark look on her face. "When your parents…"

Tamaki said nothing.

Kise remembered that day clearly. It was after he and Tamaki were both instructed to assist the second string players with some school that he can't remember the name of now. When they returned to school with a victory, Midorima had approached the both of them, informing Tamaki that she had been recalled back home, and that Akashi had received a phone call, and had ran off almost instantly after that.

Tamaki wasn't seen in school or practice for three days after that, and neither was Akashi. And when Akashi had returned, he informed the team that Tamaki's parents were involved in a car accident and had passed away. The blue haired girl had changed after that, growing a lot quieter than before, and her gentle smiles were rarely seen after that.

"Second year…" Tamaki spoke at last, rubbing at her left wrist unconsciously. "It was when everything went wrong."

"The Winter Cup." Kise muttered, and Tamaki nodded.

Kagami frowned from behind his hiding place. _'What happened?' _he wondered.

Teiko's match against Hanamiya Makoto's team during the Winter Cup was during the championship tournament. As usual, Satsuki had gotten the necessary information on the team, and whatever information that she had gathered had her worried. No one on the Teiko team had actually anticipated that Hanamiya would play as dirty as he did.

It was during the match when everyone realised just _how _is it that a middle class school could actually reach the championship match of the Winter Cup.

Two words: _dirty play._

And to anyone who knew the Generation of Miracles during their freshman year knew that it's the one play style that they detest above everything else, as it reminds them so much of the seniors that they have tried so hard to kick out.

And when the coach had carried Tamaki to the hospital after Hanamiya had shattered her wrist, telling the team to continue playing, and subbing Akashi in to take Tamaki's place, Kise could have sworn that the captain is nearly spitting fire. Akashi is already scary enough to begin with, especially with his red and gold eyes. But add that with his fiery temper that only comes out when someone hurts his cousin, and you'll have one scary dragon on your hands.

Teiko ended up crushing Hanamiya Makoto's team with 258 to 112. They barely made any movements to accept the usual after match greeting, every single one of the regulars giving the opposing team dirty looks before rushing off straight to the hospital. And the moment that they knew what had happened to Tamaki, Kise and Murasakibara have to restrain Akashi from leaving the hospital to hunt down Hanamiya to kill him, though not that Aomine is any better.

The Generation of Miracles didn't come to practice for a week after that, which is completely understandable. And nothing could pry Akashi away from his cousin, especially since he started acting like an overprotective older brother after Tamaki had lost her parents. That only grew worse after Hanamiya had injured her so badly _right in front of him._

And when Tamaki finally had the cast of her left hand taken off, the doctor had then dealt the final blow: that she could no longer use her left hand, and that also means the end of her basketball life.

Tamaki vanished from the hospital after that.

"What happened that night?" Kise asked suddenly, obviously thinking of that night too. It is the night when every single member of the Generation of Miracles received a panicked SOS message from Akashi, asking them to help find Tamaki.

**XXXXXX**

_~Second Year of Teiko, Winter~_

Aomine Daiki laid flat on his back on the bed in his room, one arm tucked beneath his head, as he stared up at his ceiling. He raised his right hand above him, partially covering his view, only able to see his ceiling through the parted fingers of his right hand.

'_I wonder… Is Tamaki all right?' _Aomine wondered to himself.

Akashi had seemed worried about his cousin and didn't want to leave her alone. As such, he had missed school for a week straight, getting Midorima to get his class work from his classmates and to deliver it to him at the hospital. And for the first time in his life, Midorima didn't complain about having to do such meaningless tasks. All of the Generation of Miracles were worried about their female teammate, and furious that such a thing had happened right beneath their noses.

Both their coach and even Satsuki actually have to excuse them from training until they cool down, as there is just no way that they could actually practice with their current dark moods. Well, not that there is any guarantee that Aomine would actually _come _to practice. It usually took Tamaki coaxing him to actually convince him to come. And even then, it is obvious to his teammates that Aomine is barely trying.

Everyone knew that Tamaki is annoyed over this, and also a tad bit concerned, as even Aomine wasn't as cheerful as he once was after the finals of the Nationals. And when the Winter Cup tournament begun, he seemed to have more mood swings than a woman on PMS!

The incident with Hanamiya had Akashi kicking at anyone who even got on his bad side, except for the Generation of Miracles. And then again, all of them are in a foul mood as well. It is fortunate that the coach and Satsuki have barred them all from practice until they cool down, or they'll probably traumatise the entire team. Nearly the entire school had heard of what had happened, and already, Tamaki's classmates have passed several get well cards to Satsuki, asking her to pass them on to the blue haired girl.

There was a message tone from his phone just then, and Aomine reached over to his bedside table and read the message. It was from Akashi.

'_Tama left the hospital. Help me find her!'_

* * *

It started to pour with rain soon after Aomine left the house after receiving Akashi's message, wearing only a long sleeved black shirt, dark jeans and a black fur trimmed coat, carrying only his phone with him. But the blue haired girl isn't picking up at all.

He knew where Tamaki would have gone to, and he made a beeline straight towards it.

The street basketball court where Tamaki and he have always trained at to perfect their moves. Probably, there is no one on the basketball team who have trained as long and as hard as they do.

Even as he approached the steps that lead down to the street basketball court, Aomine could distinctly hear the sounds of a basketball and the sounds of a ball rebounding against the board of the goal. The tanned teen approached the steps of the stairs, and soon saw Tamaki standing in the court, wearing a dark blue shirt with dark jeans and a black jacket.

She was completely drenched through, and there is a basketball in her hand. Aomine felt his heart almost clench in pain as he saw a distraught look on her face as she took aim with the ball in her left hand. Even before the ball could leave her hand, Aomine saw her left hand twitch, and the ball hit the board beside the hoop.

Aomine bit on his lip. He remembered what Akashi had told them what the doctor had told him.

_She had lost all feeling in her hand. She can't control the movements of it as well as she could use to, and she can't even gather any strength in that hand any longer. _

Tamaki's play style relies a lot on her flexibility. Her speed isn't the only factor in her play style. Her flexibility is another. Now that she has lost the usage of her hand, and given the fact that she is _left handed, _what is she going to do? She loved basketball more than anything in the world. Telling her that she can no longer play basketball is as good as telling her not to breathe.

"No… No…"

Aomine almost felt his heart break at the pained whimpers coming from the small girl that the entire team had sworn to protect after Hanamiya had injured her as badly as he did. The tanned teen didn't even realise that he had already started walking down the stairs, and grabbed Tamaki by her right wrist.

"Tamaki!" Aomine shouted.

"Leave me alone!" Tamaki shouted at him through tear filled eyes, and Aomine was taken aback. Tamaki had _never _raised her voice at anyone. Not even when Kise was fooling around a little too much for their liking, and not even when she was really pissed off. She had never shouted. She barely spoke at a volume above her normal tone. And Tamaki rarely gets pissed as well. "He's lying. Sei is lying. It can't be true… They're lying." Tamaki picked up the basketball by her foot, holding it in her left hand that is starting to tremble. "I can still play…" Her voice is starting to waver. "I…can still play…"

It almost broke Aomine's heart to see her like this.

Gentle kind hearted Tamaki who never raised her voice, and always helped others that needed a willing hand. Even before Kise had become a regular, he had admitted that Tamaki is the best instructor that he could ask for. She never got impatient with him, never got angry with him. She lead him through step-by-step patiently, making sure that he learns everything that he needs to, making sure that he reaches his potential.

Even Aomine himself. Even when he started finding basketball boring because of the lack of challenges, and started skipping out on training, Tamaki never got angry with him. Sure, she got annoyed with him at times, but she never raised her voice.

She never gave up on him.

"It's enough!" Aomine shouted, tugging on her right wrist, and wrapping his arms around her. "It's enough… You'll only injure yourself further if you carry on this way!"

He felt more than heard Tamaki crying into his chest, even as he lowered them both gently to the ground, not caring that the rainwater was soaking through his jeans. Aomine tightened his hold on Tamaki even as she cried.

"I…can't use my hand any longer… I can't play anymore…"

"It's all right." Aomine said, trying to convince himself more than Tamaki. He knew that it's a lie. How is everything going to be okay? "Everything will be all right. Everything will be all right…" He told her, his voice shaking, even as he pressed his nose into her damp hair. "It's going…to be okay…"

**XXXXXX**

"Tamacchi?" Kise voiced out.

"It's…nothing." Tamaki shook her head.

The blonde looked at the blue haired girl. Tamaki changed drastically after that, he remembered. Hanamiya's attack on her is bad enough. But learning that her dominant hand was crippled as a result, and that she can no longer play basketball is an even bigger blow. The blue haired girl never smiled anymore after that, and they'll be lucky if they can get more than an expressionless look from her.

Two weeks later, Akashi finally had enough and dragged Tamaki down to the first gym, telling her that he refuse to accept her resignation. Kise has no idea where Akashi even got this idea from, but he somehow stumbled across the idea of a 'misdirection style', and taught Tamaki the basics of it, leaving it to Tamaki to make up her own style from it as she goes along.

It wasn't easy at first, as Tamaki was still trying to get used to using her right hand instead of her left, but she soon got a grasp of it. The blue haired girl had always been fast, and difficult to notice as it is, and the entire team soon realised what a lethal weapon this could be in a match during their first match during spring of their third year.

Tamaki and the rest of the Generation of Miracles have spent three months practicing their plays around Tamaki's new style, and that is when the whole 'light' and 'shadow' thing had came about. At that time, Kise had seen Aomine smile for the first time in a long time. But that soon changed as well by the time they played into the Nationals.

Was that when he changed? Or when _all _of them had changed?

"The team was there for me throughout everything, and I am thankful for it," said Tamaki. "But all of you changed drastically in third year. All of you…grew too strong. Thinking back on it, I think it's probably…because of me." Kise opened his mouth to protest, but Tamaki didn't let him. "And I know why without even asking. None of you want a repeat incident of _that _to happen again." She looked at Kise straight in the eye. "After I changed my play style, one of you will always be covering me. I never got anything worse than a sprain in matches after that."

Tamaki looked towards the street basketball court by their side before turning her attention back towards Kise. "You asked me why I left. During our third year, at the last National finals, I look at our team – at the Generation of Miracles, and I see…the original team that we'd destroyed back in our freshman year." She told the blonde. "It is true that we never hurt our opponents with violent basketball. But what we did… Is it any different?" She asked. "We humiliate our opponents, destroying their wills to play, even dismantling them to the point that we make them hate basketball as much as we do. That's why… After the last Nationals final, I left. I can't stand playing a game like that. I can't stand seeing the team like that. We were the best of the best, standing at the top of middle school basketball. But did we enjoy it? Tell me, Kise-kun." Tamaki looked at the startled blonde. "During our third year, can you honestly tell me if you did enjoy playing the game like you once did?"

Kise was silent. He remembered what Tamaki had told him once when she was just assigned as his instructor.

_The thing that you lack…is the most important thing for a basketball player._

_You're playing for the wrong reason. I see no passion in your play…if you can even call it that._

"We…lost the passion and the love that we once had for the game." Kise realised. "We were playing a game that we once loved…and now hate."

Tamaki nodded. "As I did once upon a time," she admitted. "A long time ago, I can't see myself hating basketball. I played the game because I loved it. But during third year…" She trailed off. "Everyone changed. Even me."

Kise fell silent. What could he say to that? Everything that she'd said was true. During their third year, just playing the game felt hollow to him. It doesn't seem as fun or exciting anymore as it once did.

"But why Seirin?" Kise wanted to know. "Of all the schools in Japan, why did you choose Seirin?"

"Why indeed?" Tamaki mused. "Maybe because…"

"Because?"

**XXXXXX**

_~Third Year of Teiko, Summer~_

The gyms where the Inter High tournaments of both the high school and middle school sections were being held were nearly crowded with both competing schools and spectators. As the coach had pulled her out during the second half of the fourth quarter, Tamaki herself had wandered out of the second gym to find a vending machine to quench her thirst.

Finally spotting one behind a group of high schoolers wearing an unfamiliar jacket, she slinked past them unseen—as usual—and studied the drinks on display, wondering which one she should get.

"Looks like they're doing the middle school preliminaries over here." A boy with spiky dark hair and glasses commented, glancing towards the board that stated the names of the competing schools, and paused in mid-sentence as he saw the names of the schools, paling instantly.

Tamaki showed no reaction to it. It is a usual one. People tend to get scared of them the moment they hear Teiko's name, or they worshipped them to the point of annoyance. She knew that her cousin was already scouted by some big name high schools to play for them after this year.

Tamaki turned to see the doors of the second gym swing open, and her teammates filed out, not looking in the least bit exhausted after their match. She then quickly turned back to the vending machine, trying to decide which drink to get before Akashi drags her away.

"Geez, I can't believe it. Today, I only made 42 points." Aomine grumbled, scratching the back of his neck.

"Stop goofing around. You're holding the ball for too long." Midorima told Aomine sternly, but the tanned teen ignored him. "Thanks to you, I only made 10 shots." He shifted his glasses up his nose.

"You make three pointers anyway." Aomine bit back.

"Hey, pass me some balls too." Kise whined, and as usual, everyone ignored their five-year-old-stuck-in-a-fifteen-year-old-body player.

"It doesn't matter. We won anyway." Murasakibara yawned, looking very bored. He barely had anything to do in their match. "I'm tired."

Kise looked at him oddly. "Why are you tired when you barely did anything?" he complained, but Murasakibara ignored him.

"Stop the chit chat." Akashi cut in sharply. He then glanced around. "Where's Tamaki?"

They were passing near the vending machine where Tamaki is standing at, and the blue haired girl responded. "Here."

The high schoolers near her jumped about a foot in the air even as she made her pick and took out the can of Pocari from the vending machine's flap. The brunette boy that looks rather like a cat was wheezing, clutching at his chest as if he had just suffered from a heart attack.

"There you are." Akashi remarked, glancing over at his cousin. "We're having a meeting right when we get back."

"Yeah." Tamaki responded, walking past the high schoolers, Pocari in hand.

"Let's go!" Akashi ordered.

Tamaki took a backward glance at the high schoolers, and instead of finding the usual awed or terrified looks on the faces of anyone who even bothered to learn about basketball and had heard the name of Teiko, she was slightly surprised to find wary looks instead, understanding, and even a look of annoyance on the brunette girl with them. Tamaki glanced at the jerseys that they're wearing, and spotted the name of the school that they're from.

_Seirin._

**XXXXXX**

"Maybe because…they're the first school that I saw that didn't look afraid at the sight of us." Tamaki said at last, confusing the hell out of Kise. "There's just something different about them. And I know that I didn't regret my choice when I actually got to Seirin and met Kagami-kun. He loves basketball from the bottom of his heart. He seems to have been through some rough times, but he still takes basketball more seriously than anyone else."

Kise stared at Tamaki for a long time. "I still don't get it," he said at last. "I can say one thing though. If you think so highly of Kagami because of his attitude towards basketball, some day, the two of you will part ways." He warned. _'Just like how he did.' _"The biggest difference between me and the other four isn't our physical abilities. They all have a special ability that not even I could imitate. Tamacchi, you too. Your style and your ability… It isn't something that I can imitate either. That's why more than anyone else, you should understand. I realised during today's game that he's still learning. And just like the Generation of Miracles, he has a unique ability. For now, he's still an immature challenger. He's enjoying the thrill of recklessly playing strong opponents. However, someday, he will reach the level of the Generation of Miracles and grow apart from his team. When he does, do you really believe that Kagami won't be a different person?"

Tamaki knew what Kise was trying to tell her. After all, the blonde had been there as well when _he _had changed. She was about to reply to this when a certain redhead giant interrupted.

"You idiot! Why did you disappear like that?" Kagami demanded, finally deciding to announce his presence, deciding that he had heard enough. He turned towards Kise who glared at him. "Hey."

Kise managed a strained smile, having a feeling that Kagami had been listening right from the start. "Were you listening?" he asked, not happy in the least that the redhead had interrupted a conversation that he had with his old teammate.

"I sure as hell was. What the hell are you kidnapping Tamaki for?" Kagami demanded.

"What? Who cares if I talk with her a little bit?" Kise argued.

Tamaki looked annoyed at Kagami before her attention was taken by some commotion coming from the street basketball court next to them. The blue haired girl looked over only to see a group of five that looked like some thugs walking in on the group that were playing basketball earlier.

She frowned as she watched the thugs. This is starting to remind her of a certain captain and his lackeys in Teiko…

And this…

Just. Can't. Do.

**XXXXXX**

"What were you thinking?" Kagami started yelling after the 'match' that they had with the thugs to teach them a lesson. "Did you think you could win if it had turned into a fight?"

"No. I would have been beaten up without a doubt."

"If you knew that, why did you butt in then?" Kagami cried out, trying not to hit Tamaki.

Kise grinned with amusement. "Tamacchi, you can be amazing sometimes," he said.

"I thought those guys were terrible." Tamaki stated, her eyes darkening as she remembered how those thugs had 'played'. "I just wanted to tell them."

"You should've considered the consequences first!" Kagami yelled.

"…I forgot to." Tamaki said after a pause, only pissing Kagami off more.

"Don't give me that crap!"

Kise chuckled as he watched the two banter back and forth. The two reminded them of his time in Teiko when the team is still a team. He is sure that Tamaki was probably reminded of her old partner when she sees Kagami as well. That's probably why she picked him as her new partner.

'_Seems like she's doing fine.' _Kise thought to himself as he picked up his bag. "I should get going. I finally got to play with Tamacchi in the end. And don't think that I've forgotten about my revenge, Kagamicchi!"

"'K-Kagamicchi'?" Kagami spluttered even as the blonde laughed, leaving the area.

"Kise-kun adds '-cchi' to the names of those he acknowledges." Tamaki told him. "That's great for you, isn't it?"

"I don't want that!"

There was silence between the two for several moments before Tamaki turned to face Kagami. "Kagami-kun, I'd like to ask you something," she said. "Just how much of our conversation did you hear?"

"Enough." Kagami replied with a shrug.

"I see."

"Can I ask a question?" Kagami asked, and Tamaki nodded. "The Generation of Miracles… Just how strong are the other four, compared to Kise?"

Tamaki didn't answer straight away as she looked into the direction where Kise had disappeared to before turning back towards her teammate. Kagami was a little taken aback to see the serious look in Tamaki's eyes – almost like she's condemning him to death or something.

"You won't understand just from my words alone," she said. "Words can't describe it. It is something that you can understand only if you experience it for yourself. You'll soon understand their strength…" She sighed. "…especially when you meet 'him'." She said mysteriously.

Kagami frowned even as Tamaki left the park, and he followed her.

_Who the hell is 'he'?_

* * *

_A/N: All right! I'm done with the Past Arc! I didn't go into much depth regarding the incident with Hanamiya, as I'm waiting for the match with Kirisaki Daichi before going into it. A reviewer that I can't remember the name of had asked in a review a few chapters ago just how Kise come to respect Tamaki so much, since one of the main reasons in canon why Kise respects Kuroko so much is because of the way he plays on the court. I hope that this answers any enquiries that you might have._

_So next chapter, Papa From Senegal! I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	7. Papa From Senegal

_How Akashi address Tamaki: _Right, I wanted to address this issue for some time now. As some of you might have noticed, Akashi tends to change how he addresses Tamaki from time to time. There _is _a reason for it. As stated before, only the Generation of Miracles knew that Akashi and Tamaki are cousins. Hence why he called her 'Tamaki' like the other Generation of Miracles in public and in front of the other members from the other strings. Imagine the problems that Tamaki might have if it is ever revealed that Akashi is her cousin!

_Kagami's eavesdropping: _Some of you were wondering why Kise and Tamaki weren't as angry as expected when they realised that Kagami was eavesdropping. The both of them only _assumed _that Kagami had only heard the last part of their conversation – the part when Kise was talking about Kagami leaving Tamaki one day. If they knew that Kagami had actually heard the _entire conversation, _yeah, they'll be pretty pissed.

_Operation Revenge, Hanamiya: _Yeah, everyone is asking me this question. Oh, rest assured, the GoM _will _get their revenge. You just have to wait and see _how. _

_Tamaki's injury: _Okay, so I got quite a few enquiries regarding her wrist injury. It isn't that it _can't _be healed. She just needs long term treatment for it – time that she _doesn't have _right now. And as she's originally left handed, in order to play basketball again, she switched to her right hand and also changed her style completely. I mean, have _you _tried shooting using your non-dominant hand? I had once when I sprained my hand, and let's just say that it's a total disaster! Hence why Tamaki specialises in circulating passes after she'd injured her hand. It doesn't require much control at that time. And as for why Tamaki doesn't shoot right now with her play style, it is that her right hand still lacks the control for her to shoot the ball. She's only been using her right hand for only a little over a year after all. Cut the girl some slack!

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Seven: Papa From Senegal**

"_I've decided! I'll crush all of them and become Japan's best player." - Kagami Taiga_

**XXXXXX**

Kagami Taiga was exhausted by the time lessons were over for the day, and he could leave for the gym where basketball practice was held.

_Everyone _in the team was tired out, even the normally impassive Tamaki. Kagami twitched as his thoughts went to the blue haired girl. Their homeroom teacher wasn't pleased to find Kagami snoozing in his class that morning, and had hauled him to the faculty office for a long lecture on staying awake in class and about his poor grades. The redhead giant was still wondering why Tamaki who was just sitting behind him and also sleeping silently didn't get in trouble. Does her misdirection works when she's asleep as well?

Practice didn't start immediately that day, as Hyuuga had called for a meeting, and had handed out a list of the schools participating in the Inter High tournament to every single person in the team. Surprisingly, Riko wasn't around that day.

"The Inter High preliminaries start as a tournament." Hyuuga begun, even as everyone looked through the incredibly long list of schools that they currently had in their hands. "If we lose, we're out. We can't let our guard down for even a single game." He warned.

Tamaki glanced at her own list, her gaze falling on the names of five particular schools. _'Inter High…' _she mused. _'So it's here at last.' _She glanced at her teammates, and then at the black wristband that covers her left wrist. _'Are they strong enough to face off against 'them'? Will my current style be enough?'_

Tamaki is sure that probably every high school in Japan is dreading having to face a school that had one of the members of the Generation of Miracles. And she doesn't blame them. The blue haired girl had seen the anger and fear reflected in the eyes of the opponents whom they have thrashed during their middle school days.

The Generation of Miracles isn't someone whom anyone would want to face on the courts.

First year had Teiko's opponents feeling disgruntled. Second year had them disbelieved, yet fearful of the name of Teiko. By the time their third year had came around, not a single middle school in Japan had never heard of the name of Teiko, and not one of them were suicidal enough to challenge the best team in Japan.

Tamaki is sure that probably, the high school basketball circuit were all sighing in relief and patting themselves on their backs that the members of the Generation of Miracles have all decided to split up to go to different schools. Just facing _one _of their members is terrifying enough. Imagine _all _of them in the same team. And every single member was the best at what they do.

"Tokyo has blocks A through D." Hyuuga was saying, and Tamaki turned her attention back to the list in her hand. "The winner of each block goes to the championship league. The top three winners from the championship league participate in the Inter High. Only three schools are chosen out of 300 participating schools. Only the chosen 1% will stand on the court of their dreams. That's the Inter High."

Tamaki glanced at the name 'Touou' somewhere in the list, and mentally calculated the set up of the matches in her head. If everything goes well, and if Seirin wins every match that they had, they might only have to end up playing Touou during the Inter High preliminaries final league, given the fact that both Touou and Seirin are in the Tokyo district.

'_Oh dear…' _Tamaki thought, glancing at Kagami. If the two hot-headed males ever meet each other in a match… She dreads what will happen.

"I sort of get the picture," said Kagami. "But they're not _chosen. _They _win _it, sir." He added.

The second years smiled at this, and the three other freshmen that have joined the basketball club alongside Kagami and Tamaki, but were named as reserve players instead, exchanged looks.

"We got three weeks until the Inter High preliminaries." Hyuuga continued. "We fell one step short last year, but we'll definitely go this year. We'll be facing a lot of strong schools, but our biggest and strongest opponent is Shutoku High." At the name 'Shutoku High', Tamaki tensed, and Kagami noticed this. "Last year, they were in the nation's top eight. On top of that, just like Kaijo, they had one of the Generation of Miracles join their team. If we can't beat them, we won't make it to the Nationals."

'_If we play against the Generation of Miracles, it'll be the championship game.' _Kagami thought, glancing at his own list, then looking at his shorter and smaller teammate beside him who seemed to be in deep thought – who the hell could tell with that expressionless look on her face? "Tamaki, you know who he is, don't you?" Kagami felt very foolish the moment the question had left his lips. Hell, the girl played on the _same team _with them for _three years. _Of course she would know who they are!

Tamaki glanced at the redhead. "I doubt that you would believe me even if I told you," she replied. "However, as Kise-kun said, the other four are on an entirely different level, as compared to him. And if they've gotten even better from the last time that I've seen them, then I cannot even begin to imagine just how good they are now."

"By the way, where's the coach?" Tsuchida wondered, glancing around the gym.

"She went to observe our first opponent's practice game." Hyuuga answered, and as if on cue, the doors of the gym swung opened, and Riko stepped in, looking no different from before. But Tamaki who is sharper and much more observant than most people noticed the slight tensing of muscles in the older girl, and wondered what could have made her so.

"I'm back."

"She was skipping after the Kaijo game, but she's not skipping today." Kawahara commented.

"Coach, are you gonna skip today?" Furihata asked innocently.

Poor guy didn't realise that just with his 'innocent' question, he had riled up the sleeping dragon.

"_Like hell I will!" _Riko hissed, and the entire team could almost see imaginary fire behind their coach.

"She wouldn't act like an idiot over an official game." Hyuuga reprimanded the freshmen even as Riko walked up by his side, placing her bag down on the floor. "But you do seem unhappy." He told the girl. "Are they good?"

Riko's mood seemed to darken even further at these words. "We shouldn't even be worrying about Shutoku when our first match isn't looking good," she said grimly. "One of their players might give us trouble. You can watch the video later." She said as she handed her red cellphone to Hyuuga. "Take a look at this picture."

Hyuuga flipped opened the cellphone, and out of pure curiosity, the rest of the team crowded around the bipolar captain. A picture of an adorable brown and white kitten peered back at them, apparently having just woken up from a nap.

"I-It's cute, but…"

"Sorry, it's the next one." Riko groaned.

"The next one?" Hyuuga went to the next picture, and his entire countenance, along with the entire team, changed immediately as the picture of a foreigner with dark skin and a shaven head appeared on the screen.

"His name's Papa Mbaye Siki. Two meters tall. Weighs 87 kilograms. He's a foreign student from Senegal."

All four second years have the exact same expression on their faces, even the usual impassive Mitobe whose expressionless face is enough to match Tamaki's.

"Senegal? He's huge. Two meters?" Hyuuga gaped.

"Can they even do this?" Koganei wondered.

"He's studying aboard?" Izuki spluttered. "Sorry, but where's Senegal?"

"He's just big." Kagami stated the obvious, not seeming worried about their next opponent in the least, despite the fact that his seniors were all freaking out around him. The second years ignored his comment, and Tamaki peered at the photo in silence, studying the photo carefully.

Height is always a major factor in basketball matches, as many players tend to use their height to their advantage. When the Generation of Miracles have first started their debut during their freshman year, apart from a certain purple haired center, all of them barely reached 175 centimetres for height. Hence, their training usually had them training against their tallest regular, and learning to deal with a player taller and bigger than themselves.

"This Papa Mbaye… What was it?" Hyuuga asked.

"Papanpa?" Tsuchida offered unsurely.

"It's Papa Try-Hard." Koganei said, not remembering the name either, with Izuki coming up with another bad pun and scribbling into that notebook of his.

"We're not getting anywhere. Tamaki-chan, find a nickname for this guy," said the coach with annoyance.

The blue haired girl fell silent for several moments before her brain came up with the easiest name to remember. "How about 'Dad' then?"

"Where's your naming sense?" Koganei spluttered, almost beside himself in laughter at Tamaki's naming choice, not that the rest of the team were any better.

Riko finally lost patience at seeing her team goof around. _"Listen!" _And the team jerked to attention. "He's not just tall. His arms and legs are long too. Everything about him is big. More and more schools are inviting students from aboard to increase their power. Our next opponent, Shinkyo High, was only a middle tier school until last year. But with the addition of a single foreign player, they've become a completely different team. They can't reach high enough. Because of this one simple reason, no one can stop him."

The entire team fell silent, and Kagami grunted. "But we can't just do nothing," he protested.

"Who said we would?" Riko smirked, and Kagami blinked in confusion. "That is why… Kagami-kun. Tamaki-chan. Starting tomorrow, both of you will have your own training regimen." She then grinned. "The preliminaries start on May 16th! Until then, you won't even have time to complain!"

**XXXXXX**

The next week after that before their first match in the Inter High preliminaries is considered 'training week' for the basketball team, as they were put through numerous drills, practices, and even strategy meetings that had Koganei complaining once that it should really be renamed 'hell week', as every single one of them were so exhausted that their eyes were drooping continuously in class the next day.

Two days before their match against Shinkyo High can find Tamaki closing the glass doors of the florist shop where she worked at, pulling down the shutters of the shop and locking it. She then turned around only to raise a curious eyebrow as she saw a familiar dark blue haired boy sitting on the railings outside the shop, waiting for her, dressing in his school uniform with a white shirt worn beneath it.

"Hey." Aomine Daiki grinned, waving at her.

Tamaki smiled. "Aomine-kun."

* * *

"You don't have to walk me back home every single time I had work," said Tamaki. She then sighed. "And you're missing practice again, aren't you?" She said accusingly, and Aomine had the decency to blush. "I knew it."

"It's not like I need it anyway," said Aomine, staring at his clenched fist with some sadness in his eyes. "The more I practice, the stronger I get. And it's not like anyone can beat me anyway. Because…—"

"Okay, stop there." Tamaki interrupted. She doesn't like it when Aomine starts to talk like that, and she sighed inwardly. Is there no way to bring him back to how he was like before? Was she too naïve to think that?

"I see that you're still wearing it," said Aomine suddenly, and Tamaki glanced up at the taller male before touching the black choker around her neck.

Unlike most chokers that only had one loop going around the neck, hers had two – with one shorter than the other, with a silver cross pendant hanging from the lower loop, just falling a little above her collarbone. Her school uniform usually hid the choker from view, and Tamaki never wore it during basketball practice, hence why nobody on the Seirin team ever saw it. Aomine and Tamaki each had one of those after their first National victory, and both never went anywhere without it. And even now, as Tamaki glanced at Aomine, she saw the same black choker around her neck around Aomine's as well.

"It's been nearly three years, hasn't it?" Tamaki mused.

"Yeah," said Aomine with a sigh. "Three years…" He trailed. "So I saw the list of participating schools for the Inter High." He glanced at Tamaki. "If Seirin continue winning all their matches, chances are that they will end up facing Shutoku High – the school that Midorima had gone to."

"I know," said Tamaki with a sigh. "And if everything goes well, it will only be a matter of time before we ends up facing Touou in a match. Given the fact that we're both in the Tokyo district."

Aomine said nothing for several moments. "Midorima is our top shooter at Teiko for a reason," he said at last. "Just like how each of us are the best in whatever position that we are in, Midorima is the best Shooting Guard in the high school basketball district. The dream team – the Generation of Miracles, all split up after middle school for a reason, Tamaki."

Tamaki sighed. "Yeah. Sei's whims," she muttered, though she knows that that is only half-true.

It is true that it is Akashi who had first suggested that the Generation of Miracles split up after middle school, but she knew that the rest of them have only agreed in the first place, because they could not find a challenge good enough to challenge them any longer. All of them have the same thought in mind – that the only opponent that is good enough to challenge them is a fellow member of the Generation of Miracles. That is the only reason why they'd all agreed on a split in the first place. Not that any of them were pleased about her choice of high school though.

"You know that that's not the only reason," said Aomine. "The…oath that all of us made back when we first debuted as the Generation of Miracles is another part of the reason. But that's not the point here." He looked at Tamaki seriously. "You should have already realised this during your practice match with Kaijo High. You can't afford to take on a member of the Generation of Miracles with just half your skill. The only reason why you can use only half your skill to take on Kise is because you know his movements well, being the one to train him. But Kise's strength isn't on the level of me and the other three. And you should know this. If you take on Midorima with just half your skill, you can't win."

Tamaki said nothing, but cradled her left hand to her chest. She knew this even without Aomine telling her. Her current style is just at half her usual strength. To take on a member of the Generation of Miracles with any hope for victory, she has to use her _original _play style with her _right hand. _The only problem here is that she still lacks the control to use her original play style with her right hand.

"You know that I still can't hope to shoot with my right hand." Tamaki said at last. Aomine should know. He was the one to practice with Tamaki when she is still developing the misdirection style during third year.

"You have your ways to get around it," said Aomine. "Your speed is one factor that had always helped us in the past. But I can say one thing though. If Seirin ever winds up facing Touou, if you go at half strength, you can't hope to beat me."

**XXXXXX**

May 16th came faster than anyone would have liked, and that day found the entire Seirin team gathered in front of the gym where the Inter High tournament was being held, and where Seirin would be playing against Shinkyo that day.

"Looks like the gang's all here," said Riko with a smirk as she lead the team into the gym.

Kagami's eyes were bloodshot like how they were when playing against Kaijo High, and he even had dark bags beneath his eyes. Tamaki glanced at the taller boy.

"You couldn't sleep again?"

Kagami twitched. "Sh-Shut up," he hissed.

The entire team was then led into the gymnasium and begun their standard warm ups before a game, with the spectators slowly filing in, and the game authorities begun setting up the scoreboard and head table, also checking that the floor of the court wasn't _too _polished, and that the goal is in good working condition.

Hyuuga who was doing his warm ups like everyone else glanced towards the Shinkyo side just then, and noticed someone missing. "Dad doesn't seem to be here." The captain commented, inviting some weird looks from a passing authority who is readying the court for the match.

Izuki who was practicing his shooting looked around at this comment. "Now that you mention it…" He trailed off.

There was a sound of a bang against metal just then, and a voice groaning with pain. This got the attention of the entire Seirin team, even Tamaki who was dribbling the ball with her right hand, not really paying attention to her warm ups.

A tall guy had just banged his forehead against the doorframe before bending down so as to be able to enter the gym. The eyes of the Seirin team went wide as they saw just how tall and large that 'Dad' really was. The foreigner was grumbling as he rubbed the bump on his forehead.

"Everything is so short in Japan," he grumbled.

'_Isn't it that you're just tall?' _Tamaki thought irritably, the fingers of her left hand twitching. Her mood isn't at it's best ever since the 'talk' that she had with Aomine two nights ago, though it isn't like the rest of her team had noticed, since the blue haired girl doesn't talk much in the first place anyway.

"What are you doing?" Shinkyo's coach scolded Papa as the giant approached him, towering over the coach. "Hurry up."

"Sorry I'm late!"

"Why is that the only thing that you can speak fluently?" One of Shinkyo's players whom Tamaki recognised as the captain, Tanimura Yusuke, approached Papa. A lone basketball bumped into the back of his shoe just then, and the blonde Shinkyo captain turned around only to see Hyuuga approaching him.

"Oh, sorry." Hyuuga apologised, picking up his basketball.

"By the way, did you guys really beat Kaijo?"

"It was just a practice game." Hyuuga replied.

"I see. I guess the Generation of Miracles isn't as strong as we thought."

Hyuuga narrowed his eyes at this comment, and Tamaki frowned.

"The Generation of Miracles lost?" Papa echoed, having been listening in on the conversation of the two captains. "They brought me here to beat them. I'm disappointed that they're so weak."

Hyuuga was barely restraining himself from punching the foreign student in the face for looking down on Seirin like that whilst Kagami himself was barely holding himself back. Tamaki wasn't happy at the comments of the other team, but unlike the two boys, one can't really tell what she's thinking.

Papa then walked past a twitching Kagami, about to make his way to the changing room, only to bump into Tamaki, not noticing her presence at all, like all of Seirin's past opponents. He looked around before looking down only to see Tamaki staring up at him, her shoulder length ice blue hair tied up in a high ponytail like how she always did during every training session and at every match that they went to.

"No, little one. Children shouldn't be on the court," he told her, patting her on the head like she's a kid, much to Tamaki's annoyance. The giant then noticed her team jersey beneath the shirt that she was wearing, and realised his mistake. "You're a player? You're joking, right?" He asked Tanimura. "I can't play against a girl!"

Several red ticks almost covered Tamaki's head at this comment. What is it with all these…_sexists?_

"Oh, come on, we'll just go easy on them!" Tanimura joked, this time causing _Hyuuga _to be pissed.

"They lost to a girl like that? Are all of the Generation of Miracles children?"

Tamaki's eye twitched dangerously. _'These bastards aren't even bothering to keep their voices down! I'll __**butcher **__this guy!' _she thought, not having been fired up like this in a match for a long time now, ignoring the hysterical giggles from the rest of her team who were all bent over in fits of laughter. Kagami was even pounding the floor with his fist, practically on his hands and knees on the court in laughter.

"Honestly, I'm starting to get annoyed." Tamaki stated after a few moments, shocking several of her teammates, a fire lighting up in her normally impassive blue eyes.

"You don't like to lose, do you?" Kagami said with a smirk after having gotten over his laughing fit. "I guess we'd better show Dad why he shouldn't piss off kids."

**XXXXXX**

_Touou High School  
__Tokyo District_

"You're here again?" A loud complaining voice reaches Aomine's ears as he opened his eyes where he had been trying to take a nap atop the water tank on the rooftop of Touou High School. An upside down view of a well-endowed pink haired girl appeared in his view.

Momoi Satsuki frowned at him, hands on her hips. "I can't believe that you're missing practice again!" she scolded. "And here I thought that seeing Tamaki-chan might knock some sense inside that empty air that you call a head."

"Shut up." Aomine groaned, screwing his eyes shut as he threw his arm over his eyes. "Just go away, Satsuki!"

Satsuki then grinned. "It should be today," she said, and Aomine cracked opened one eye. "Seirin's match with Shinkyo High."

"Shinkyo? Oh. The school that had that giant from Senegal." Aomine mused, remembering that Satsuki had mentioned about the school in passing once. "What about it?"

"Who do you think will win?" Satsuki asked with an air of a cat who had just caught the canary.

"Are you kidding me? It's obviously Seirin," said Aomine disbelievingly. "Tamaki wouldn't lose to some no-name school that only got strong by depending on one single player. Besides, if it's height, she will know how to deal with it. We didn't go through that insane training with Murasakibara during first year for nothing." He snorted. "And furthermore, there is someone on her team who can deal with that giant."

Satsuki grinned. "That's right," she said in a singsong voice. "My bet's on her too. After all, she's my best friend!" She proclaimed.

**XXXXXX**

The timer on the clock is now at six minutes and twenty-four seconds to go in the first quarter, and Shinkyo is currently in the lead with 8 points to Seirin's 3. Yet it doesn't bother them in the least.

Papa aimed another shot once more, but the ball bounced against the rim of the basket and fell back to the court. Mitobe who is currently the closest to the basket reached the ball first, despite the best attempts of the Shinkyo player who is marking him. Riko was right in saying that they only have to worry about Papa, as the rest of the players who made up the team are mediocre at best.

"He missed! Rebound!" Hyuuga shouted.

And that's how the game went for the next several minutes, as every shot that Papa took, he either missed it completely or it rebounded, thus allowing a Seirin player to snatch back the ball. Tanimura was watching in disbelief as Papa huffed and wheezed, taking in deep breaths.

'_His accuracy suddenly declined.' _Tanimura realised. _'What's going on?'_

Tamaki who is as usual, invisible on the court, smiled to herself as she remembered the training sessions that Riko had Kagami go through during the week before their match with Shinkyo. The coach had Kagami training with Mitobe, the silent player who specialises in defending.

Satsuki actually had the Generation of Miracles go through a similar training with Murasakibara once during their freshman year, as he is easily the tallest of the entire team, easily towering above Midorima who is the second tallest in the team then. As all of them, apart from Murasakibara, barely reached 175 centimeters in height during their freshman year, Satsuki had them train to learn how to play against someone taller and larger than themselves.

"_Blocking isn't the only way to defend against shots." Satsuki told the team, a basketball beneath one arm with a purple whistle hanging around her neck, facing the first string regulars who were all lined up in a single file before her, Murasakibara standing next to her, the purple haired giant who was munching on a lollipop happily. "You can either make him miss or steal the ball from him before he can shoot."_

Kagami who had trained for a week straight with Mitobe in defending had been keeping to his role in pressuring Papa with his defense, blocking him whenever he could. Thus pissing off the foreign player…and himself.

_Don't let him do what he wants to do. Don't let him go where he wants to go. Force him out of his comfort zone. Pressure him so he can't shoot easily._

Papa took another shoot at the basket, and once more, it missed, bouncing off harmlessly against the rim, thus enabling a nearby Seirin player to steal the ball and make off with it. The spectators begun to mutter among themselves.

"He missed again. He's been missing a lot."

"He can't make any shots. This foreigner's no big deal."

Tanimura whose breaths is coming in short, and is sweating a great deal considering that it's still only the middle of the first quarter scowled. _'Shut your mouths. There's tons of pressure on the court. He can almost block him with those jumps.' _He thought, glancing at Kagami who had once more leapt up into the air to block Papa from shooting. _'The intensity of his focus could kill.' _He glanced at Kagami who had a furious look in his eyes. Whoever had named him 'Taiga' (tiger), had probably named him after he had some sort of tantrum, and had gotten pissed off. _'This is some serious pressure!'_

"What the hell is this guy?" Papa demanded.

The ball bounced against the rim of the hoop and rebounded once more.

"He missed again!"

Papa looked frustrated as he wiped away a bead of sweat trailing down his chin. "What the hell is this? I'm pissed!"

"Don't let it get to you. He's not blocking you." Tanimura told Papa even as he turned and ran down the court in an attempt to get the ball that is currently in possession of Hyuuga. "Defense!"

Kagami's eye was twitching like mad as well, and the maniac grin on his face could pass off as a grin that one would only see on the face of some patient that had just escaped from a mental institute.

'_This method's stressful for me too,' _he thought. _'I've gotta take him down more directly than this. I'll do it!'_

And the redhead immediately hurried over to the center of the court and planted himself in front of Papa, keeping a sharp eye out for the ball and for his ever elusive teammate who seemed to have disappeared two minutes into the game. Kagami wasn't worried, as he knew Tamaki, and he knew that if she had 'disappeared' for this long in a match, she had some plan up her sleeve, and is bound to attack soon. The best way for him to assist her is to back her up in her play.

"Hey, let me tell you two things," said Kagami. "First, I'll block one of your shots in this game."

Papa twitched. "There's no way you can do that," he sneered. "I will not lose to a team with a girl on it."

Kagami twitched at these words. _'Are you looking down on Tamaki and Seirin, damn it?' _he snarled inwardly, itching for an excuse to punch Papa, not liking it when an outsider looks down on his teammates.

"Second…" The redhead took his opportunity to slip past Papa's defenses, positioning himself near Seirin's basket even as Izuki passed a ball that happened to go directly towards Papa.

The foreign player grinned triumphantly, seeing it as a chance. But before he could even get the ball, a certain blue haired girl came out of nowhere, smacking it towards Kagami who immediately grabbed the ball and dunked it in.

"This girl might give you some trouble." Kagami grinned even as he landed back on the court.

"By the way, can you please stop calling me a girl? I have a name, you know? And I'll prefer it if you use it." Tamaki stated calmly, yet the entire Seirin team, and even the opposing team got shivers from her stare alone.

'_Scary!'_

**XXXXXX**

The doors to the bleachers above the courts opened silently, and a green haired young man stepped in, smirking lightly as he watched the match currently going on below him. The only girl player on the Seirin team had just easily stolen the ball back from Shinkyo, and had passed it to her teammate who is currently in mid-air. Said teammate then immediately dunked the ball into the goal, easily earning Seirin another two points.

'_You're in for a world of pain if you underestimate her,' _he thought, pushing his glasses up his nose as he recalled how his team had easily scored dunks and even three point shots by just utilising Tamaki's play back in middle school.

**XXXXXX**

"Seriously?"

"They dunked the ball right after they stole it."

"That's two dunks in a row. This is still the first round of the preliminaries."

"That was amazing." Hyuuga stated as he jogged down the court with Kagami and Tamaki near him. There are now only a few seconds left to go before the first quarter is over. _'Has Tamaki always been this good?' _The captain grinned in amusement. "Are you really that mad about being called a kid?" he teased.

"I guess." Kagami mused, recalling Papa's words before the match, and what the captain of Shinkyo had said as well. "It's like, don't talk until you've played them."

The buzzer went off just then, with the referee blowing his whistle, announcing the end of the first quarter, with the game score being at 8-23, with Seirin in the lead.

* * *

Riko was pleased with her team at the end of the first quarter, and had said as much.

But as Tamaki's misdirection play had a time limit, Riko had to sub her out during the second quarter, and thus, the Seirin team was forced to play twice as hard as compared during the first quarter. Shinkyo wasn't pleased with how the match is currently going, and thus, the Seirin team had quite a tough time trying to block their shots, and prevent them from passing to Papa, or even scoring themselves.

Hyuuga and Izuki stared with shock as Kagami tried and failed to stop Papa from scoring another basket. "He really is amazing," said Izuki with amazement.

"Didn't he get even higher?" Hyuuga wondered. _'I could have sworn that that last jump was even higher than what he had attempted during the first quarter.'_

Papa wasn't amused. "I'm serious now! I won't lose!"

Kagami grinned a ferocious grin. "I couldn't ask for anymore. I'm starting to get excited, 'Dad'!"

The match between Seirin and Shinkyo continued on, with there being eight more minutes to go for the second quarter, and the score is currently at 12-24, with Seirin still in the lead.

Hyuuga who is currently in possession of the ball attempted a three point shot at where he is standing, seeing a Shinkyo player attempting to block him, and the captain cursed to himself inwardly as he saw the ball beginning to fall short of the goal. "Shit! It's too short!"

Kagami who is still marking Papa as planned noticed the captain's dilemma, and immediately grabbed the ball as it rebounded before Papa could get it, and dunked it into the goal himself.

Tamaki who was watching this from the bench sighed to herself inwardly.

Sure, she is pleased that she had found such a strong partner, and with time, Kagami is sure to improve enough to even match the best of the Generation of Miracles. But seriously, is there nothing but the word 'dunk' in his dictionary? She hadn't seen him do anything but dunk the entire match!

"Okay, nice shot!" Kawahara cheered from the Seirin bench.

"Nice rebound!" Furihata cheered.

Tanimura who is currently in possession of the ball, and currently getting guarded by Izuki noted that Papa seemed to be getting frustrated. "Papa, don't let it bother you! We'll give you the ball!" The Shinkyo captain then passed the ball to a nearby teammate who immediately passed it to Papa.

The foreign player immediately jumped to attempt another shot, but Kagami jumped as well to block his shot. Papa immediately changed tactics halfway and passed the ball to a nearby teammate, surprising everyone.

"What's wrong, Papa? You had that! One more time!"

The foreign player gained possession of the ball once more, and attempted another shot, but once more, Kagami jumped and blocked him, not allowing his shot to go through. _'Why? He's getting higher and higher!' _Papa thought in shock.

"Kagami's amazing." Fukuda commented from the Seirin bench. "He's more than keeping him in check. He's not losing to him at all. Looks like his practice is paying off."

Tamaki said nothing from the bench as she listened to Fukuda, her memory going back to what Kise had told her just after their practice match with Kaijo the other day.

_Someday, he will reach the level of the Generation of Miracles and grow apart from his team. When he does, do you really believe that Kagami won't be a different person?_

Tamaki sighed inwardly. _'Was I too naïve to want to believe that he won't?' _she thought. _'That he won't change? That the same thing that had happened before…won't happen this time?'_

_The only one who can beat me, is me alone._

Tamaki's hands closed into fists on her thighs as she recalled those cold words spoken by someone whom she had cherished back in third year of middle school.

**XXXXXX**

The match continued, and Seirin's play seemed to only grow more in intensity whilst the Shinkyo team seemed to be growing more tired and frustrated, with the points only growing further apart, rather than closing.

The game score is now at 51-60, with Seirin in the lead, and five minutes to go to the end of the fourth quarter.

Riko who was watching the match grew concerned. _'We can't afford to cut this one close,' _she thought. The brunette girl then turned towards Tamaki. "Tamaki-chan, can you go the last five minutes?"

"Actually, I've been ready for quite awhile." Tamaki told her, and the brunette girl flushed in embarrassment.

"Sorry! Then go!"

* * *

Tamaki's plays were now back at full power, and just as with much intensity as back in the first quarter, if not more, as she passed the ball straight to Mitobe after stealing the ball from the opposing team.

"Damn it! There she is again!" A Shinkyo player grumbled as they got the ball stolen from them for the umpteenth time.

"What's going on with those passes?" Tanimura demanded.

"Don't let your guard down until it's over!" Hyuuga commanded. "Let's get them!"

The ball was once again passed to Papa who was currently getting guarded by Kagami, much to the former's annoyance. "No! I don't want to lose!" He jumped up, and again tried to shoot the ball, but Kagami was quick to stop him.

"You said you were disappointed in the Generation of Miracles, but you overestimate yourself! Compared to you, they're way stronger!" Kagami roared as he took his chance, jumping into the air, finally managing to knock the ball out of mid-air as the buzzer went off, signalling the end of the match.

The referee blew on the whistle sharply, announcing the end of the match. "Game over!" he announced, announcing the game score of 67-79, with the victor being Seirin High School, much to Seirin's delight.

A certain green haired young man smirked to himself before leaving the arena.

* * *

After the two teams have showered, and were packing up, Papa walked over to Kagami who was packing up his stuff.

"I lost," said Papa solemnly, much to Kagami's confusion. Tamaki who was next to him watched this scene with a raised brow. "Please play hard for me in your next game too."

Kagami was confused, and not knowing how to respond to such a thing, could only manage a, "Yeah. Sure."

Two seconds after that had Kagami wanting to punch Papa's face in as the foreign student shouted, "You're an idiot! You moron, I won't lose next time!" even as Tanimura dragged him away quickly before Kagami could punch Papa for real.

**XXXXXX**

"Here."

Tamaki looked up in surprise even as Aomine handed her a vanilla milkshake, and she took it with a smile. "Thanks."

"You still like drinking these?" Aomine asked with a smirk. He then noticed the obvious signs of fatigue on the smaller girl and grew concerned. "You look tired. How did the matches go?"

"Seirin made it through our first game of the preliminaries." Tamaki answered, looking at the taller boy. "Our second game was against Jitsuzen High that we won at 118 to 51." She counted on her fingers. "I was benched the whole game though." She looked annoyed at this, much to Aomine's amusement. "The third game was against Kinga High."

"Kinga, huh?" Aomine mused. "I think Satsuki had mentioned them once or twice. Aren't they ranked in last year's top 16? They're one of those schools that had a good balance of offense and defence."

Tamaki smiled and nodded. "Right. But it didn't stop Seirin from beating them 92 to 71."

Aomine chuckled. "You don't look too happy at being benched the entire four games," he teased, and Tamaki glared at him. "Well, if things goes well for your team, you might end up having to play against Midorima." He warned. "Shutoku High is one of the three 'kings' in the Tokyo district."

Tamaki nodded. "I know that."

**XXXXXX**

Seirin High had arrived early at the gym where their next match is being held, and all their players were doing their usual warm ups before a match. Tamaki wasn't really paying attention to her surroundings until a new unfamiliar voice entered.

"It's the fourth round. We might actually have a tough game for once." A team wearing dark green team jackets entered the courts. A team comprising of five _very familiar _players.

"We're against Seirin today." Another player spoke up.

"This should be easy. They got destroyed in the championship league last year."

"They're nothing but a new school that made it through with sheer luck."

Kagami glared as he recognised their next opponents as the guys whom he, Kise and Tamaki have played that day in the street basketball court after their practice match with Kaijo. The redhead then blocked their route, glaring down at them.

"So we meet again," he said.

"Hello," said Tamaki solemnly.

The entire team paled instantly when they saw just _who_ they are facing.

"They're going to destroy _us."_ One of the players whimpered.

**XXXXXX**

'_Our fourth match in the Inter High preliminaries was against Meijo Academy.' _Riko typed into her cellphone, texting a certain center who played for Seirin who is currently hospitalised right now. _'For some reason, our opponents were terrified the whole time, and we destroyed them at 108 to 41.'_

**XXXXXX**

Riko marked out the chart listing of the schools that are currently participating in the Inter High, and she froze when she saw just who their future opponents might be if they continued winning all their matches.

"We're doing well." Kawahara commented.

"At this rate, maybe we'll make it through the preliminaries all the way to the championship league." Fukuda said.

"How naïve." Izuki groaned.

"It must be nice being so young and carefree." Koganei commented, and he received weird looks from the rest of his team at that. Wasn't he just a year older than the freshmen?

Seeing no one about to explain the situation, Hyuuga took over. "For the last ten years, the same three schools have moved onto the championship league from Tokyo," he explained. "King of the East, Shutoku. King of the West, Senshinkan. King of the North, Seiho. They're evenly matched, so the top team changes every year. But they never let anyone else get better than fourth place. They're the three immobile kings of Tokyo. After our fifth match are the semi-finals, then the finals. In the finals, we'll likely come up against…" Tamaki knew what Hyuuga is about to say. "…The King of the East, Shutoku, that had acquired Midorima Shintaro of the Generation of Miracles."

Upon hearing Midorima's name, Tamaki tensed up, an action that received Kagami's attention. The light blue haired girl then recalled what Aomine had told her just a few nights ago.

_You can't afford to take on a member of the Generation of Miracles with just half your skill. If you take on Midorima with just half your skill, you can't win._

Tamaki stared at her right hand, slowly clenching it into a fist.

"But you guys made it into the championship league last year, didn't you?" Kawahara asked.

There was a sudden tense silence.

"Yeah, but we didn't stand a chance." Hyuuga admitted at last, and seeing the dark looks being reflected on the faces of his second year teammates, he sighed inwardly. _'Big understatement of the year.' _He thought gloomily, recalling their terrible defeat last year after the loss of their team's ace. _'But we have new manpower.' _He glanced at Kagami and Tamaki. _'So we might just stand a chance against the kings this year.'_

'_Our seniors definitely aren't weak, but…' _Kagami frowned to himself in deep thought. He knew the strength of his seniors in Seirin, given the fact that he actually trained and played with them every single day. He knew that they are in no way weak, but to actually have the 'three kings of Tokyo' defeating them? Just how strong are those schools?

"Look."

"They're here."

There were mutterings from around the court just then, and the entire Seirin team looked up only to see a certain team making their way onto the court.

"Looks like they came," said Hyuuga grimly, and next to him, Riko nodded.

"It's better to see something for yourself than hear about it," said the brunette girl. She then stood up. "The freshmen, prepare yourselves. You're going to see something amazing today." She grinned at the freshmen. "They're supposed to be even more amazing this year." _'Well, I'm not surprised after they've managed to acquire a member of the Generation of Miracles.' _Riko thought to herself as she eyed the orange jerseys of the Shutoku team. "One of the three kings of Tokyo, Shutoku High."

Tamaki glanced over at the after mentioned team like her teammates, but her gaze fell on the green haired teen in their midst who is carrying a teddy bear wearing a karate uniform in his left hand for some reason, seemingly oblivious to the amused stares coming from the surrounding audience. His team, on the other hand, wasn't so oblivious, and some of them seemed ready to dig a hole to hide themselves from the embarrassment.

The cheerleaders for Shutoku High broke into a chant as they made their way slowly onto the court, and Seirin watched solemnly. "Here they are," said Izuki.

Kagami then grinned, a sudden wild idea taking form in his head. "I'm gonna go say hi," he said, making his way over to Shutoku's side.

"Sure," said Hyuuga absent-mindedly, Kagami's words not really sinking into his brain until the redhead had left his team's bench. "Hey!"

Tamaki followed Kagami's movements with her eyes, and noticed that Midorima seemed to have seen him approaching, his eyes resting on her for only a moment before turning back to Kagami. The two teens then stood standing face-to-face with each other, and Tamaki sighed, inwardly praying to any gods that cared to listen that Kagami wouldn't start a brawl in the middle of a public court, and get Seirin disqualified from the Inter High tournament.

Midorima isn't exactly someone who would mince his words, something that Kise can stand witness to, since the blonde had bored the burnt of Midorima's blunt words for two straight years.

"Hey," said Kagami as he stood in front of the Shooting Guard, and Midorima frowned. "You're Midorima Shintaro, aren't you?"

"Yes, but who are you?" Midorima asked, despite already knowing who Kagami is.

From behind the shooter, Takao Kazunari snickered to himself as he watched the two. _'You know who he is. Why are you acting so proud?'_

"Handshake?" Midorima enquired as Kagami held out his hand without saying a word. The redhead smirked, and as Midorima held out a hand in response, before he could even say anything, Kagami had taken out a marker from out of nowhere and wrote 'Seirin Number 10, Kagami Taiga' across his left palm. This sudden action was enough to anger the usually calm and composed green haired teen.

"You look like the kind of guy who'd claim he doesn't remember me if I introduced myself normally." Kagami explained, and Tamaki smiled to herself in amusement. She almost wished that Kise is here. The blonde would laugh himself into a coma if he knew that Kagami had done what Kise himself had failed during his two years in middle school – making Midorima lose his usual calm composure. "I want the guy who I'm about to take revenge on for my seniors to remember me."

Midorima looked annoyed as he adjusted his glasses. "Revenge? You're rather reckless, aren't you?" he scoffed.

"You're from Seirin, aren't you?" Takao asked with a grin, even as he approached the two, standing by Midorima's side. "Haven't your seniors told you anything? Last year, the three kings destroyed Seirin when they tripled their score."

Kagami was taken aback at this, and a look at the second years sitting on Seirin's bench confirmed the truth, as Hyuuga's face grew almost as black as thunder as he was reminded of their crushing defeat the previous year.

"Say what you want, but the difference in strength is absolute," said Midorima. "Even if we meet again in the championship, history will only repeat itself."

"No." Hearing a sudden voice so close to them caused Midorima to jump slightly, startled, accidentally losing hold of his bear for just an instant that caused said bear to fly towards the direction of the new voice. Having been used to catching fast flying objects, Tamaki caught the bear flying towards her easily with her left hand. Only Midorima noticed the slight trembling of her left hand as she did so, and he quickly held his hand out to receive his bear, allowing Tamaki to drop the fuzzy creature into the palm of his hand. "Instinct." Tamaki explained in answer to Midorima's unanswered question, relieved inwardly that Midorima took the bear before she actually dropped it in front of her entire team. Riko would probably suspect that something is wrong with her left hand, if she didn't already suspect it. "You can only speculate based on the past. You won't know what will really happen until you play, Midorima-kun."

Midorima narrowed his eyes at his old teammate. "Tamaki…" he muttered, his eyes softening only a slight fraction as he laid eyes on her. "It seems…like I really can't get along with you when it comes to basketball." He stated, ignoring Kagami who is glaring daggers at him. "I can never tell what you're thinking, especially from your eyes. There is plenty that I would like to say to you, but telling you now would be meaningless. Come to the finals first of all."

There was a tense silence surrounding the two former teammates before Takao broke it by walking up to Tamaki, and wrapping his arm around her shoulders, much to Midorima's annoyance. "You're got a mouth on you!" Takao grinned. "You're one of those, aren't you? You went to the same middle school with Shin-chan, right?" Tamaki blinked at the nickname. She is sure that Midorima won't like the nickname, and it is already a miracle that he didn't kill Takao just for saying it. "Don't let it bother you. He's just a tsundere. He's actually really interested in you. He even went to see your first preliminary game." He grinned at the smaller girl before getting dragged off Tamaki by an annoyed Midorima.

"You shouldn't make up so many stories, Takao," said an annoyed Midorima, letting his teammate go, and standing in between Tamaki and Takao so that the boy wouldn't cling onto the blue haired girl. "And don't touch Tamaki." He warned, his glasses glinting menacingly. "Don't even go near her."

"It's only just for awhile! And it's not like I'm going to do anything!" Takao wailed, and Midorima twitched. "It's not like she's your girlfriend or anything!"

Koganei who was taking a drink out of his bottle from Seirin's bench choked on his water and spit everything out onto Izuki who was most definitely _not_ pleased at having spit and water on his person.

Midorima pushed his glasses up his nose. "No, she's not," he agreed. _'But that doesn't mean that Akashi and Aomine won't kill me for it.' _He thought with a wince.

Only a blind man or someone utterly dense _couldn't _see the obvious crush that Teiko's ace had on their only female regular during his middle school days. Tamaki however, was as oblivious to the affairs of the heart as usual, and as she had several issues going on at that time, no one alerted her to it, especially Satsuki who seemed to make it her life mission to ensure that her best friend and her childhood friend get together as a couple.

"How long are you going to keep talking?" Shutoku's captain, Otsubo Taisuke shouted from their bench. "Get ready!"

"Looks like Tamaki-chan really gave them an earful." Riko remarked.

"Who cares?" Hyuuga shrugged. "It's not like she didn't say anything that we weren't thinking."

Takao had already made his way over to Shutoku's bench, but Midorima didn't move from his place at all, merely staring down at Tamaki without saying anything, ignoring Kagami. Finally, the green haired teen's face broke into a small genuine smile. "I only have Kise's word for it, but I'm glad to see that you look well," he told her. His eyes then glanced at the black wristband around her left wrist, and back to Tamaki's face with a brow raised. Tamaki shook her head slightly, and Midorima smiled a small sad smile. "I see. But your current play can't beat me, and you know it." He told her. Midorima then narrowed his eyes. "I shall show you just how naïve your thinking is."

**XXXXXX**

The cheers of 'Shutoku!' were nearly deafening the entire gymnasium, and Seirin's players were all gathered on the bleachers with the other spectators, eager to watch Shutoku's next match against Kinka.

Meanwhile with Shutoku, Otsubo who had a basketball under one arm was staring blankly at Midorima, a semi-confused look on his face as he listened to what Midorima had to say. "You want to start?" he echoed, making sure that his ears aren't deceiving him. "Didn't you say that you didn't want to play because your fortune was bad or something?"

Takao who was sitting on the bench tying his shoelaces grinned as he overheard this. "I bet you're excited after meeting an old friend, and you want to impress that girl or something," he teased.

"I've had enough of your wild speculations." Midorima said, annoyed, praying to the high heavens that Akashi _or _Aomine wouldn't hear of Takao's random ramblings. "I just wanted to test my shooting."

"Sure, but don't forget the coach said that he is only willing to let you get away with what you want three times a day." Otsubo warned. "Two more times, and I'll be pissed." Imaginary fire could almost be seen behind the captain, and Midorima nodded, hiding his unease easily. When one had a captain like Akashi Seijuro for three years, one would know how to deal with a scary captain. Otsubo sighed. "As long as you make your shots, I don't have a problem with it. Using your poor fortune as an excuse isn't worth shit!"

He then turned and walked towards the court where the rest of the team stood waiting.

Midorima pulled the bandages from his fingers, leaving it in a pile on the bench next to his teddy bear. "I cannot miss," he stated. "Today's lucky item is a stuffed bear. I have compensated for my bad luck."

**XXXXXX**

Shutoku's match against Kinka had begun, and Tamaki who was standing with the rest of her team watched as Shutoku easily dominated over the other team, leading with a game count of 38-8, with it currently being the second quarter. As she watched how the team performed with each other, and the display of their individual skills, Tamaki could then see why Shutoku was crowned as one of the three kings of Tokyo.

"They're already thirty points ahead with four minutes left in the second quarter." Riko remarked. "I'm not surprised."

"They're not doing anything that differently from us." Kawahara noted. "But they make it look so easy. I wonder why?"

"Because they don't make mistakes," said Hyuuga, and everyone turned their attention towards the Seirin captain. "In basketball, the ball's always moving back and forth at high speeds. Without exception, strong schools always have solid basics like passing, handling and running." The buzzer went off below them, signalling the end of the second quarter. "They make it look easy because their fundamentals are solid. But those are only the fundamentals. Naturally, there's another reason. It's because…"

On the court, Otsubo caught the ball as it rebounded back and dunked it back into the goal, knocking over two players from the opposing team as he did so.

"…they have an infallible scorer." Hyuuga finished as he watched his fellow captain below, his eyes darkening over as he recalled just how strong the Shutoku captain had been the previous year, and how he could do nothing against that insane strength.

The cheers from the Shutoku side increased in volume even as Otsubo bent down and held out his hand. "Sorry, are you okay?" he asked apologetically, offering his hand to help the two downed players to their feet.

"What an amazing dunk!" Kawahara said in amazement.

"Is he really a high schooler?" Furihata asked in disbelief.

"He's gotten even stronger." Riko remarked grimly, and Hyuuga nodded solemnly.

"We couldn't do anything about him last year," said the Seirin captain grimly.

"Otsubo on the inside and a normal outside was Shutoku's game until last year, but this year…" Riko trailed off, glancing at Tamaki who had her eyes on the match and didn't even seem to have heard the conversation of the second years.

"He's five out of five so far." Kagami remarked, standing beside Tamaki as he watched Midorima's plays. "Looks like Midorima's playing well."

"Is that right?" Tamaki mused.

"I don't know!" Kagami was taken aback at this. "Shouldn't _you_ know?"

"No, guard the middle!" Kinka Number 4 shouted. "We can't help it if they have a little edge on the outside!"

"I don't know." Tamaki admitted as the Seirin team paid close attention to her words. "I've never seen him miss." Kagami was taken aback at her answer. "Not even once."

Down on the court, Midorima had gained possession of the ball, and was currently standing near the center of the court. "A little edge, huh?" he mused even as he prepared his form. "This is why you cannot win." And the ball left his hands, spiralling upwards in a high arc across the court.

"What does that mean, Tamaki?" Kagami demanded. "You've never seen him miss? Does that mean that Midorima…" He trailed off slowly, realisation dawning on his features.

Tamaki nodded. "Unlike Kise-kun who plays Small Forward, Midorima-kun plays Shooting Guard," she explained. "He is a specialist at shooting. There's no way that he would miss." She turned her attention back towards the court.

Kagami was about to ask something when he noticed the high arc that Midorima's shot had taken, and his eyes widened.

"What's with the high arc?" Hyuuga gulped. "Most people won't have any sense of distance shooting like that."

On the court, Midorima had already started making his way down the court. "Let's head back, Takao." Midorima ordered, and the dark haired boy hurried after his friend. "We're on defense."

"If you miss, I'll get yelled at too." Takao whined.

"Don't be stupid, Takao. I follow fate. I do everything I can. That is why I never miss my shots." Midorima finished as the ball went into the basket, earning Shutoku another three points.

"As long as Midorima-kun doesn't lose his form, he makes 100% of his shots." Tamaki explained calmly to her shocked team who had obviously never seen a shooting specialist at work before.

"Seriously?" Izuki spluttered.

"That's just not fair." Koganei whined.

"He's heading back to defend before he even makes his shot." Tsuchida remarked. "He's impossible to counter." Mitobe nodded in agreement, and Tamaki glanced briefly at her seniors.

'_Not quite.' _Tamaki thought. _'There __**is **__a way to actually counter it. But you must know how to perform it.'_

"The time until he actually makes his shot is abnormally long." Riko analysed. "It really gets you mentally."

As the match went on, Tamaki could see that the opposing team is starting to lose hope that they would actually beat Shutoku. Hyuuga frowned. _'He really is amazing,' _he thought. _'But why am I getting a bad feeling about this?' _He then stopped dead and glanced at Tamaki who currently had her eyes on the match, remembering the same feeling that he had received around first Tamaki and then Kise – also members of the Generation of Miracles like Midorima. _'Could Midorima be hiding something even more ridiculous?' _He wondered.

Back on the court, Midorima took shot after shot, and like what Tamaki had stated, Midorima never missed a single one. And thus, when the buzzer for the end of the fourth quarter went off, it was an overwhelming victory for Shutoku High, with the game count being 153 to 21.

'_Their outside isn't a weakness anymore.' _Riko thought nervously, worried about their chances against Shutoku should they end up facing them. _'They've got an even more dangerous scorer out there. This almost makes last year's performance cute.'_

Back on the court, Midorima was slowly making his way towards the bench before he paused in his step and looked up at the bleachers where Seirin was standing, staring directly at Tamaki, ignoring Kagami who was just right next to her. Kagami then noticed just _who _Midorima was staring at, and bristled slightly.

Tamaki fingered the wristband around her left wrist.

**XXXXXX**

Hyuuga opened the gymnasium doors for his team. "Okay, let's go home—" Before the captain could finish his sentence, Riko smacked not only him, but the rest of the second years, thus sending the entire group of second years flying towards the ground.

"We've got another game today!" Riko scolded her team. "Are you stupid? Are you?"

"I was kidding." Hyuuga picked himself up from the floor with a groan. "The mood just seemed really gloomy."

"Everyone checked the tournament bracket." Izuki added.

"Huh?" Kagami said blankly, this being news to him. "We have another game? Seriously?"

Riko looked ready to kill the oblivious redhead for not being aware that there is another game that day, and Tamaki groaned to herself, wondering for the umpteenth time just what she saw in the redhead to actually pick him as her new partner.

"Kagami…"

"You really are stupid, _Baka-gami!" _Riko shouted at the redhead, holding up the tournament bracket chart in front of his face. "Check the bracket! We play two games on the day of our fourth game and the last day! Our fifth game starts at 5PM!"

"Two games in one day is just too much." Koganei complained as Kagami took the chart from Riko and scanned through it.

"Yeah. Even if we get a break, we're still tired." Izuki agreed.

"The semi-finals and finals are both in one day?" Kagami echoed, glancing down at the tournament chart in his hand. "Does that mean that we're playing a game before we play Shutoku?" He then froze as he noticed something. "Coach, the three kings are Shutoku and…"

Riko nodded, noticing that Kagami is slowly starting to catch on. "Seiho and Senshinkan," she said. "On the last day, our semi-finals opponent will most likely be Seiho. We'll play Shutoku in the finals. We're playing against two of the kings in a row." She announced.

The eyes of the rest of the team went wide. Tamaki was the only one that didn't look surprised, though that is because she had already checked the tournament bracket beforehand and already knew it.

"That's impossible!" Furihata is starting to go into panic mode even as the three freshmen pored over the tournament bracket that Kawahara currently had in his hands.

"Good schools have strong players, and lots of them." Kawahara commented. "Our guys will all need to be benched!"

Kagami smirked at the new challenge ahead of him, not seemingly worried in the least, despite the fact that his fellow freshmen and his seniors were all freaking out at the possibility of playing two of the kings in a row. "Two games in a day, and both of our opponents are strong. I couldn't ask for more."

"But this is too much!"

"Who are you trying to impress?" Kawahara asked in dismay, wondering if Kagami hadn't hit his head somewhere. "Right, Tamaki?" He asked, looking over at the blue haired girl who had been remarkably silent.

"Sorry. I'm actually a little excited as well," she said, scratching idly at one cheek with her finger.

She received a chorus of 'huh?' for her answer, and Furihata looked at her blankly. "What? Did you get Kagami germs too?" he asked.

"What are you talking about?" Kagami demanded, annoyed.

"I hope not," said Tamaki, and Kagami turned back towards her, a scowl on his face.

"Somehow, the way that you denied that pisses me off."

"But don't difficult situations light a fire in you?" Tamaki asked Kagami bluntly, and the second years smiled, and Kagami grinned.

"All right! I'm on fire! I'm gonna go practice!"

"Don't!" Riko tugged Kagami back. "You should rest! You unbelievable basketball head! You idiot _Baka-gami!"_

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki was tired once she arrived back home that night, but she wasn't as exhausted as her teammates, as she had the advantage of having already been involved in National-class matches during her time in Teiko, and had the previous training to deal with it all.

Aomine's words were ringing in her head.

_You can't afford to take on a member of the Generation of Miracles with just half your skill. If you take on Midorima with just half your skill, you can't win._

Tamaki rubbed at her left wrist before pulling out her cellphone and dialling a number. Three rings later, the call was picked up.

"Kise-kun?" Tamaki spoke into the receiver. "I need your help with something."

* * *

_A/N: And another chapter done! Finally! I thought that my fingers are about to fall off, with just how long that I'd been typing, and not to mention that with my flu, I feel almost ready to collapse. Have you tried working or writing when you're sick? Not a pleasant experience, I can tell you that._

_So the next match is against Seiho. And for anyone who is wondering just when Tamaki and Aomine would 'get together', my answer is that it won't be that soon. Aomine's attitude towards basketball is the one thing that is standing in their way, and thus, it will be quite difficult for them to even maintain a steady friendship with that. Even now, their interactions with each other are awkward at best, and Aomine isn't really the best at words._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and look forward to the next one: the match against Seiho! Please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	8. King of the North

_Tamaki learning to shoot: _I'm sorry to disappoint you guys, but Tamaki won't be able to shoot _just yet._ She had just been using her right hand to play for a little over a year, and the control isn't even there yet, thus, she won't be able to shoot just yet. Yes, she will learn to shoot sooner or later, just not now.

_Tamaki's old style: _You'll see what it is soon. I won't spoil the surprise for you. I'll just say that it had something to do with speed and flexibility – two things that most girls are naturals at, and I thought to incorporate this into Tamaki's play style. Her misdirection style isn't all that Tamaki is capable of. I mean, she _is _a regular of the legendary basketball team. I seriously doubt that misdirection is all that she's capable of. Look at Midorima, Kise and even Aomine. They are capable of much more than what they seemed to possess at first glance. I'm pretty sure that Tamaki is too.

_Tamaki's age, compared to the rest of the GoM: _I know that in canon, Kuroko is supposed to be the oldest of the GoM, seeing as how he's an Aquarius, with his birthday at January 31. But I want to make Tamaki the youngest among the GoM, so just imagine that she's nearly an entire year younger than the rest.

_Aomine and Tamaki fluff moment: _It's coming! It's coming! Don't rush me! But it won't happen until _after _the match with Shutoku. Sorry, folks!

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Eight: King of the North**

"_Actually, you could search all over the world, you wouldn't find another guy like you, who's smiling when playing defense." - Iwamura Tsutomu_

**XXXXXX**

_Huff. Huff. Huff._

The heavy sounds of someone being out of breath could almost be heard loud and clear in the empty street basketball court. Dusk has long fallen, and the only lights that could be seen are the street lamps that lit up the basketball court.

Kise Ryota looked worriedly at his blue haired friend, dressed in a sleeveless black shirt and white pants, beads of sweat adorning his brow. "Are you sure that you're going to be all right?" he asked. "And are you sure that you should be doing this now? You've just finished two straight games earlier today, right? You're going to burn yourself out before the match with Seiho at this rate. And if anything happens to you, Aominecchi and Akashi-cchi are going to kill me." The blonde whined.

"I'm fine." Kuroko Tamaki managed to make out through heavy breaths. She held up the basketball in her right hand, looking at it. "At least I know that I didn't lose my speed. And I can still manage some parts of my old style, even though I still can't shoot." She added, looking a little sad. _'Just how long? How much longer will it be before I can play like before with my right hand?'_

Kise sighed. "I'll be worried if you _can_ lose your old play style," he muttered. "Is this for preparation for the match against Seiho? And…against Midorimacchi's school?" He asked quietly.

There was silence for a long time, before Tamaki nodded. "…Yeah."

"Will it work against him?" Kise asked carefully. "It's fast and effective against me, I admit. I can't even stop or block it. But in the end, I'm still the weakest of the Generation of Miracles. And you know that."

"I'm not entirely sure whether it can work against him or not, but passing and misdirection aren't the only things that I'm capable of in basketball," said Tamaki simply. "All of you know that. And more than anyone else, Midorima-kun should be aware of that as well. But…" She dribbled the basketball that she is holding. "Even Midorima-kun won't be able to stop my Mirage skill." She stopped dribbling. "You can't stop something that you can't see, can you?" She asked Kise who said nothing to that question.

The Generation of Miracles knew just how scary that Tamaki's original play style could be. Her current misdirection style is effective enough in plays, but everyone have agreed that her old original style brings out her full power. Her old style actually reflects the actual meaning of her name 'Kuroko'. Tamaki's current misdirection style only brings out less than half of what she is actually capable of. The name of the 'phantom sixth player' isn't just for show.

"And besides…" Tamaki looked sad for just a fraction of a second before smiling slightly in remembrance. "The only person in the world who can match my speed or stop me…is only Aomine-kun."

**XXXXXX**

The regulars of the Seirin basketball team were all very relieved when the bell went for lunch break.

_Every single one of them _were practically falling asleep into their desks, with their bodies sore with muscle aches – the result of playing two straight games in a row. The only players of the basketball team that actually managed to stay awake and still remained looking bright-eyed is only a certain blue haired girl. And the Seirin team knew that it is only because Tamaki had the advantage of already being involved in National standard games in middle school, and had the stamina and training to deal with it.

But even the blue haired girl looked tired as the bell went for lunch break, as she munched on her own neatly cut ham sandwiches. Kagami who had the seat in front of her was gobbling down about four or five deluxe sized sandwiches in front of him, much to the astonishment of several of their classmates who stared at him eating. If there is ever an eating contest on who could eat the most and the fastest, Kagami would win it easily hands down, since the redhead giant seemed to have an appetite that could out eat a baby killer whale.

"You're eating more than usual." Tamaki commented, watching Kagami wash down his meal with his carton of milk. Their surrounding classmates were starting to look a little sick at seeing Kagami eat this much, and this quickly.

"I'm surprised that that's enough food for you." Kagami said, turning to eye the two ham sandwiches sitting on Tamaki's desk. That amount of food won't even be good enough for him as a midday snack, let alone lunch. He can see why Tamaki is so skinny now.

Tamaki sighed. "If there is ever a shortage of food in Japan, won't _you _be the first to die?" She can't resist taking a dig at her redheaded friend.

"What did you say?" Kagami demanded, but winced as he pulled on a sore muscle. "Damn, I'm sore all over." He grumbled, rubbing at his shoulders. "I guess playing two matches in a row will do that to you."

"Kagami-kun! Tamaki-chan!" A familiar voice called out to the two freshmen from outside their classroom door just then. Tamaki turned only to see the coach of their basketball team standing just outside their door with two carton boxes in her arms. "Good timing. Come with me."

* * *

And so, much to Kagami's dismay, he was saddled with the task of carrying the two carton boxes all the way to wherever that their coach wanted it. And with just how heavy that they were, the redhead groaned, not really wanting to know just _what _is in those boxes. Knowing his coach, it's probably training weights or something similar.

Both their coach and their captain seemed to have gone off their rockers the closer the day that they will be competing with Seiho approaches. Sure, they're one of the kings, and yes, they'll be competing with Shutoku _right after they defeat Seiho, _but that doesn't mean that they can both go off their rockers when it comes to their training! At the rate that they're going, they'll be dead before they can even compete with Seiho!

"I'm sore…" Kagami groaned, his arms groaning in protest at the weight. "Are you an ogre? And why isn't Tamaki holding one?" He demanded, glancing at the small blue haired girl who is strolling along casually whilst sipping on a straw from her milk carton.

"You want to make a maiden carry those boxes? And you call yourself a man? That's your job." Riko giggled.

Kagami deadpanned. "I don't see a maiden anywhere," he stated matter-of-factly, only to be punched by Riko for his trouble. "What is this anyway?" He asked, gesturing towards the boxes in his arms.

"They're DVDs of this year's and last year's games from the clubroom." Riko answered. "They're for scouting, and the clubroom is so small. We're going to be playing two games in a row against the kings in the semi-finals after all. There's no such thing as over analyzing."

**XXXXXX**

At Shutoku High School, Midorima Shintaro was looking at Takao as if he had just lost his mind.

School had just let out for them, and the two were just standing at the windows of the school's hallways, talking. There isn't any basketball practice scheduled for the team that day, and Takao usually hunted down Midorima on those days to 'just hang out'.

Midorima had long given up on stopping Takao after the fifth time, much to the black haired teen's glee. The rest of his fellow freshmen have long learned to leave Midorima alone, especially the girls in his class. But apparently, Takao Kazunari was cut from a different cloth, as he simply refused to leave the stoic green haired teen alone. Finally, Midorima had just given in after two weeks of 'stalking' and 'pestering'.

It doesn't matter where he goes; Takao will always find him anyway. He might as well make it easier for the both of them. Though Takao often ended up as his pack mule more than once…

"DVD?" Midorima echoed, staring at the jewel case in Takao's hand as if never seeing it before.

"Yeah, of Seiho." Takao grinned. "We're the only freshmen regulars, and we don't know anything."

"I'm not interested."

"Just because that Tamaki girl and Kagami aren't on it, don't be like that." Takao whined, ignoring Midorima's glare on his person for using Tamaki's name so casually. "These are the guys to beat in the finals. Besides, we're off today. And it's not like you have anything better to do."

"No." Midorima admitted reluctantly.

"It's decided then." Takao grinned triumphantly.

Midorima's left eye twitched with annoyance. "Hey."

**XXXXXX**

Back at Seirin, Kagami was twitching as he watched Tamaki popped the DVD that they have found in the locker room into the DVD player.

The coach had decided to let them off training that day to ease up on their sore muscles, much to their relief. But as the redhead had forgotten something in the locker room, he had gone back to retrieve it only to be scared out of his skin by his blue haired teammate who had appeared from seemingly out of nowhere…again.

"It's on," said Tamaki, sitting down on the bench, watching the preliminaries game of Seiho versus Kitawada, fairly interested to know just how one of the top schools in the Tokyo region plays.

* * *

"I see," said Midorima with a frown as he watched the game play by Seiho. Their players were particularly aggressive in defense, not even allowing their opponents to get past them. And before the Kitawada player in possession of the ball even realizes what is going on, another Seiho player had already stolen it from him. "I can see why they are considered one of the kings. Their defense is especially strong." He remarked. The green haired teen then narrowed his eyes at the bald Seiho player on screen. "Just…"

* * *

"Their movements are kind of weird." Kagami remarked with a frown. "I mean…"

Next to him, Tamaki who had her chin resting on her right hand frowned slightly. _'Never thought that I'll actually get to face this guy again,' _she thought, glancing at the bald Seiho player on screen. _'His defense technique is at the National level. It won't be easy to get past him, like what Kise-kun had found out during middle school.'_

Kagami frowned. _'Their rhythm is different,' _he thought to himself. _'What is this feeling?'_

* * *

"I forgot to mention it, but this school holds special practices." Takao commented. "I don't know how they do it, but their mobility is exceptional. They run the best defense in Tokyo." He rewinds the disc before replaying it again, even as Seiho Player 10 appeared on screen.

* * *

"This bald guy's defense is especially tough." Kagami commented.

Tamaki was silent for several moments as she watched the video. "I know this guy," she said at last, and Kagami turned towards her in surprise. "I played against him once in middle school, during second year. Kise-kun had just made it in as a regular, so you could say that he doesn't have much experience in matches yet, but somehow…" She turned back towards the video. "He managed to stop Kise-kun."

Kagami was taken aback at that comment. _Stopped _a member of the Generation of Miracles? Just how good is this guy?

* * *

_~Second Year of Teiko Middle School, Summer~_

A whistle blew out.

"Twenty four seconds over time!" The referee called out.

Kise who currently had possession of the ball turned around, bewildered at this. "What?" he echoed.

It is currently the Inter High preliminaries, and Teiko is currently up against Minamoto Middle School. As expected of the Generation of Miracles, they're currently in the lead, and their players were playing well. Well, _most _of them at least…

"Kise, you kept the ball too long, you idiot!" Aomine snapped, losing patience with their newest teammate.

"Sorry!" The blonde apologized fervently.

"Kise-chin, give me a break." Murasakibara sighed, not seeming all that upset with the blonde, unlike his other teammates.

Midorima sighed, shifting his glasses up his nose. "This is why you aren't any good," he told Kise sternly, and the blonde grew annoyed. Must every word out of this horoscope obsessed guy's mouth be an insult word or two?

Kise turned to his former instructor, and the only one whom he knew would defend him whenever Midorima get a little _too _much with his insults. But even Tamaki looked slightly irritated at his foul.

"Kise-kun, please pass the ball around properly." Tamaki told him, and Kise groaned in dismay.

"Tamacchi, even you're mad?"

Akashi who is as usual on the bench sighed at his teammates' antics. "Kise, you're the only one that is 20 points under your norm," he told the blonde sternly.

"Sorry!" Kise apologized fervently. "But Tamacchi…"

Akashi sighed. While it is true that Tamaki could shoot and score as well as anyone on the team, her role is just to circulate passes and shoots, thus creating opportunities for the rest of the team to score. It doesn't mean that she doesn't take advantage of the chances to score however, if none of her teammates are open.

"It is different for Tamaki, and you know it." Akashi told the blonde.

Kise scowled and glared at the bald player that had been marking him since the beginning of the first quarter. Said player looked a little surprised at the glare. "What's your name?" The blonde demanded. "Because of you, I'm the only one getting yelled at today."

"Tsugawa Tomoki." His opponent answered. "I see. They're yelling at you, huh?" The bald player looked thoughtful for some moments before he grinned. "That's great. I love seeing people get upset."

"Who is this guy?" Kise muttered to himself, staring at Tsugawa as if seeing an alien. "Will someone change marks with me?" He wailed.

On the bench, Akashi sighed, calling for time out. The Teiko players slowly made their way over to their captain. Tamaki caught the Tsugawa guy's eye just then, and she turned in curiosity. The bald guy then grinned at her in an expression rather reminiscent of a flirt, and Tamaki can only stare in confusion.

This action didn't go unmissed by the other Teiko regulars however, and as one, they glared at the guy, each swearing to themselves to _flatten _this guy in the match. A certain Teiko's ace however, was looking as if he would like nothing better than to flatten this guy himself.

As Tamaki made her way over to her team, she was wondering why her teammates were all glaring daggers at the Tsugawa guy. The remaining players on the opposing team whimpered. Something tells them that Teiko is _pissed, _and not just because they got a twenty four seconds violation on one of their players.

They might just be better off forfeiting now if they wished to live longer…

* * *

"To be honest, I do not particularly wish to go against him." Midorima admitted, having taken an instant dislike to the bald guy like his former teammates the last time when he had played against him back in middle school. _'Though if it is defense, Tamaki might just be his Achilles heel.' _He thought.

The fact that Tsugawa had forced Kise into committing a foul is just part of the reason why the Generation of Miracles had disliked him. The main reason is the _look _that he had given Tamaki at that time. Aomine looked as if he would like nothing better than to rip him apart back then. It might be kami's mercy to that bald guy (or at least Akashi's mercy), that when Akashi had shown pity on Kise and had allowed him to change marks, it _wasn't _Aomine who was marking him. If it had been, Tsugawa might not be standing here today.

"But you're the only one who can take him." Takao told his friend. "Their defense is good on a National level. They might even be able to stop you." He joked, much to Midorima's annoyance.

The video then ended with the sound of the buzzer going off, with Seiho clinching a victory against Kitawada, with a game count of 71-12.

"It's over. Seirin won't be able to overcome this wall. Sorry, but we're gonna have to play these guys in the finals. Keep that in mind."

Midorima was silent for a long time. Like all of his former teammates at Teiko, Tamaki is not someone who will just roll over and give up like this, despite overwhelming odds. In the end, she is still a regular of the legendary basketball team. And Midorima knew that there is still that small chance that Seirin might be able to beat Seiho, especially if Tamaki is involved. And if by some miracle, they managed to beat Seiho, then…

Midorima clenched his left hand into a fist slowly. Despite himself, he can't help but feel excited. He is still a member of the Generation of Miracles, and he thirsted for _challenge. _Tamaki is the type of player that evolves and changes with every battle and match. There are several reasons why she is the only girl playing on an _all-boys' team _like Teiko.

And if she at least managed to retain some aspect of her old style…

"…I know."

**XXXXXX**

Match day against Seiho shone bright and clear, with not a single cloud in the skies when the Seirin team had arrived for their game, all in top condition. Riko's bag was stocked full of supplements and energy drinks for recharging her players' 'batteries' after their match with Seiho.

Currently, the entire team was doing their usual warm-ups on the court, along with the other teams that were also scheduled for a match that day, with Shutoku among them.

Tamaki was dribbling the ball on the court slowly, staring at her left wrist that had a black wristband covering it. She flexed the fingers on her left hand, and like the numerous times in the past, she saw the fingers of her left hand twitching slightly, and sighed. She can't even feel anything in that hand anymore, let alone controlling the muscle movements. What she can manage with her right hand now isn't at her left hand's standard. Even if she can use some aspects of her old style with her right hand, it won't be as powerful as what she can achieve with her left hand.

Tamaki then looked up as Kagami practiced another one of his dunks into the basket just in front of her, with the redhead turning and glaring down Midorima who is on the next court, practicing with the rest of his team. The blue haired girl who is stuck in the middle between their glaring competition could only sigh inwardly at this. Really, what is this? Some competition to see who could glare the fiercest between the both of them?

One could almost see sparks flying from both their eyes.

"You're staring down the wrong guy, idiot." Hyuuga thankfully came to the rescue, turning Kagami's head to the opposite direction in which he is glaring at, almost twisting the redhead's head off. "No matter how hard you stare, if we lose this next game, you'll look like an idiot." The captain reprimanded.

"I was just looking at him." Kagami protested. "I'm focused on our next game." He glanced at the court that was occupied by Seiho, their next opponents.

Tamaki was studying Seiho's movements carefully, and she frowned, somehow finding something a little off about their movements, but can't tell what. Kagami who was next to her was scowling to himself. _'Who are these guys? They seem good, but they're completely different from Shutoku.'_

"Seiho seems more normal than I expected." Furihata Koki commented. "They don't have any really big guys."

"I suppose they _are _small for a National class team." Riko admitted. "Their biggest player would be their captain, Iwamura-kun."

The two freshmen standing near her immediately looked at said captain who was taking his form for a basket. Fukuda Hiroshi measured his height mentally, comparing him to some of their seniors. "Is he about as tall as Mitobe-sempai?" he wondered. "He's pretty wide."

"He's so thick!" Furihata whimpered. "He seems really powerful!"

"Then there's their play maker, Kasuga-kun." Riko said, glancing over at the tall blonde at Seiho's side that is the equivalent of Seirin's own point guard, Izuki. "Those two third years are the core of their team."

Kagami snorted as he heard that, and turned away to practice his dunks when a voice called out to him.

"You're Kagami-kun, aren't you?" Said redhead turned around only to see the same bald player that he and Tamaki have just been talking about in their locker room days ago, standing behind him. The one that the blue haired girl had mentioned being the only player in history to ever stop a member of the Generation of Miracles, even if Kise is just starting out then. "Your hair's so red! Scary!"

Kagami twitched at this comment. _'How about I show you some 'red'?' _he seethed inwardly, glaring at the guy whom he is about to play in a matter of moments.

"Captain, this is the guy, right?" Tsugawa waved over to his own captain. "Seirin's really weak, but they have one strong guy!" He shouted, waving both his arms like flags. Seiho looked as if they wanted to dig a hole and bury themselves within it at their teammate's insanely loud voice and comments.

Meanwhile, Riko looked pissed off, with red ticks covering her head. "You've done it now, you little shit," she growled to herself, making a mental note to herself that if Seirin doesn't beat this guy and send him home crying, she'll _make_ all of themcry.

Kagami looked as if he wanted to strangle the guy, and Tamaki sighed, poking at his arm to attract the redhead's attention. "Ignore him," she told him. "You can play him later and show him how good Seirin is."

Kagami grinned at Tamaki's words, his anger disappearing in an instant at that. For some reason, Tamaki can always make Kagami cool his head down, no matter how pissed off he is. The entire team, Hyuuga and Riko particularly, were always thankful for this 'talent' of Tamaki's, especially when his anger reared its ugly head during matches.

"Damn right!"

Tsugawa noticed Tamaki standing next to Kagami just then, and cocked his head to one side curiously, reminding Tamaki of a dog. The bald player stared at the blue haired girl for a long time, making her feel uncomfortable, though Tamaki didn't show it. Tsugawa somehow felt as if he had seen this girl somewhere before, though he can't remember exactly _when _or _where. _Something in the back of his mind prickled at him though, something that told him that he is better off _not_ remembering.

"Can I help you?" Tamaki asked at last, tired of the staring, and not to mention that Kagami looked ready to kill the guy. And halfway across the court, Midorima was glaring at Tsugawa, increasing the pressure on the ball that he is holding that the poor ball looks close to being flattened within his powerful hands.

"You're pretty cute." Tsugawa grinned at Tamaki who blinked in confusion, a slightly perverted look on his face. "You a player? Why don't you go out on a date with me once we win?"

Silence.

"…Huh?"

Tamaki was staring at him blankly whilst the two teams of Seirin and Seiho were both looking at Tsugawa as if he had just lost his mind. Did they just hear him right? He's actually asking for a _date_ just _before_ a _match?_

Halfway across the court, Takao winced as he saw Midorima's furious expression that is rather reminiscent of a dragon breathing fire at everything that comes near him. "Shin-chan?" Takao managed rather weakly. Midorima ignored him, glaring at Tsugawa, as if he would like nothing better than to challenge him in a game and flatten him.

"…I'll kill him." Midorima hissed.

Tamaki stared at Tsugawa. "I'm honoured, but I will have to humbly decline that proposal," she said politely. "Unfortunately, you're just not my type."

Imaginary boulders fell on Tsugawa's head at that, and the rest of the Seirin team tried hard to stifle their chuckles behind her. Tamaki's 'type' is a certain basketball ace that used to belong to a certain legendary basketball team with tanned skin and dark blue hair, and who also had a tendency to mess up in everything but basketball.

"Why not?" Tsugawa almost whined. "Just one date?" He reached out, and was about to take her hand, when _someone else _grabbed that hand, almost crushing it in the process.

Kagami who was on the verge of beating Tsugawa up turned and stared in surprise at the owner of that hand. Tamaki meanwhile, just glanced at her side where a furious looking Midorima was standing, having a particularly tight grip on Tsugawa.

"You so much as touch her with your filthy hands, and you won't need that limb again." Midorima threatened Tsugawa darkly. "Is that clear?"

"What's your problem?" Tsugawa complained, trying to twist his hand free, but Midorima tightened his grip, almost crushing Tsugawa's hand, the expression on his face darkening.

"Is. That. Clear?" Midorima thundered, and Tsugawa squeaked before nodding so quickly that Tamaki was surprised that he didn't get whiplash. Midorima then released his hold on him, and the bald player scampered back to his team quickly, grateful to escape from the scary looking guy.

"Midorima-kun…" Tamaki muttered, staring up at him.

Midorima sighed as he placed one hand atop her head, his lips twitching into a small smile. "You should be a little more careful, Tamaki," he told her before making his way back over to his team.

"What is that all about?" Kagami asked Tamaki as they watched Midorima heading back towards his own team. The redhead frowned as he eyed Midorima's back. First Kise, and now Midorima? The Generation of Miracles seemed strangely overprotective over Tamaki for some reason. And his instincts were telling him that there is a reason behind it.

Tamaki shook her head. "Nothing," she said, not feeling surprised in the least that her former teammate had reacted towards Tsugawa's advances on her. To quote Kise, the entire Generation of Miracles have all started acting like a group of mama bears protecting their cubs when it comes to her, especially during second year.

Kagami frowned at Tamaki, but thankfully, he didn't press any further.

**XXXXXX**

Meanwhile, Kise was heading towards the gymnasium where Seirin would be having their match against Seiho, one of the three 'kings' of Tokyo, with his grumpy captain next to him, both currently dressed in their school uniforms as they have came directly from school.

The blonde currently had a pair of earphones in his ears, listening to a recording of some sort on his phone. Kasamatsu sighed as he looked at the childish blonde who reminded him awfully of a child at times. A _very _young child.

"What are you looking at?" Kasamatsu asked. He is still grumpy for having been dragged by Kise to the match between Seirin and Seiho. Privately however, he _is _interested to know just how Seirin will fare against one of the three 'kings' of Tokyo.

"A recording of this morning's Oha-Asa." Kise cheerfully replied. "It's their morning horoscope. When this thing's good, Midorimacchi's good."

Kasamatsu only rolled his eyes at this. "The guy from Teiko," he mused. "What's his sign?"

"Cancer." Kise replied. "And Tamacchi's an Aquarius." He added cheerfully.

"I didn't ask." Kasamatsu grumbled, having never understanding Kise's obsession over the only female regular of his former basketball team.

Kise turned his attention back towards his phone, frowning slightly at the program that Midorima had obsessed over day and night back during his Teiko days. _'But does this thing really work anyway?' _The blonde wondered before playing the recording.

"_First place goes to Cancer. Congratulations! You'll have no complains today." _A gloomy clip of an animated figure meant to represent one of the horoscope signs appeared on the phone screen, with the words 'Last Place: Aquarius' on it. _"Last place goes to Aquarius. Play it quiet today."_

The blonde stopped in his tracks at this, stopping in the middle of the staircase that he is currently walking on. "Uh oh."

Kasamatsu raised an eyebrow at this. "What?" he asked in confusion.

Kise turned to face his senior. "This is terrible," he sighed, suddenly worried about Seirin's chances against Shutoku.

**XXXXXX**

A certain redhead made his way into the gymnasium where the semi-finals for the Inter High were held, with the bleachers currently getting filled up slowly with excited spectators, especially since two of the three kings of Tokyo were currently playing in today's matches. He made his way towards the wall and leaned against it, with that spot being the best area to watch the matches.

His phone blared with a message tone just then, and the redhead took his phone out only to see that it's a message from his mother:

_Take Tama-chan back for dinner once she wins today's matches, Sei-chan! And cheer her on for me!_

A smiling face was added at the end of the message.

Akashi Seijuro smiled to himself as he shut his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. He had even dressed in casual clothing that day – a white shirt with a dark green jacket and dark jeans, just so as to avoid attention. He glanced at the empty basketball courts where the authorities were readying the courts for the matches that will begin in a matter of moments.

'_Well, here it begins.' _The former captain of the Teiko Basketball Club thought. _'The so-called 'ultimate defense' against the 'Mirage' player, also otherwise known as the phantom player.'_

**XXXXXX**

Kagami paused in his tracks as the entire Seirin team filed out of the changing room that they were allotted, all of them having been fired up by Riko's speech. The redhead turned only to see Tamaki standing at the door, seemingly deep in thought.

"Is there something wrong?"

Tamaki didn't answer straight away, merely staring at the ceiling windows where sunlight was pouring in. "Kagami-kun, have you ever hated basketball?" The blue haired girl asked at last, recalling Hyuuga's words earlier in the locker room – how after Seirin's devastating defeat to the three kings the previous year, the players have all hated basketball so much that they've almost quit playing the game entirely.

Kagami was surprised. "Huh?" He frowned and pondered hard on this question. Had he ever hated basketball before? The answer came to him quickly, as he had never remembered an occasion in his life when he had hated basketball. "No, I haven't."

Tamaki's bangs were almost shadowing her eyes as she lowered her gaze to the floor. Kagami can't even tell what she is thinking; only knowing that it must be something bad. Really, since _when _had he known just what she is thinking anyway? That girl must have more secrets than a cheese has holes! Though the redhead knew her long enough by now to know just when she's feeling sad or happy.

"I have." Tamaki admitted. "I believe my reason was different from the sempais, but I know the feeling." Her eyes darkened as she recalled just _when _she had actually started hating basketball during her third year in middle school. "They're cheerful now, but hating something you love is a painful feeling."

Kagami frowned. He doesn't even know if Tamaki is talking about their Seirin seniors or the Generation of Miracles anymore. He knew enough about her past in Teiko to know that at some point during their middle school days, the entire Generation of Miracles must have started hating a sport that they only started playing in the first place because they _love _it.

"When I spoke with Midorima-kun, I told him that the past and the future aren't the same, but in the end, they're not completely separate." Tamaki admitted sadly. "I think that this game is important for our seniors to get over the past."

Kagami grinned at Tamaki. "What are you getting all gloomy for?" he asked, and Tamaki looked at him, surprised. "We're going to _win, _then we're _going _to beat Shutoku!" He proclaimed. "It's no use just thinking about it! We just play."

Tamaki looked surprised, then she smiled. "That's right."

**XXXXXX**

In Touou High School, Aomine laid flat on his back on the rooftop, staring up at a semi-crumpled photograph that he had in his wallet.

A group photograph of the entire Generation of Miracles stared back at him, all of them laughing and grinning at the camera, all of them dressed in casual clothing. Even Satsuki was in the picture, smiling back at the camera. Aomine remembered that this photo was taken at the celebration party held at the restaurant of Akashi's mother during their second year after their Inter High championship, when Kise had joined them.

Midorima was standing at the side, stoic as always, with a toy frog sitting in his left hand. Satsuki and Tamaki, being the only girls, were standing in the center, smiling slightly at the camera. Satsuki had her right arm around Tamaki's shoulders. Akashi was standing next to Tamaki, smirking at the camera, but there is no hiding that pride in his eyes. Aomine was standing behind Tamaki, pushing Kise away who is apparently trying to cling onto Tamaki as always. And Mursakibara was standing at the back of the group, munching on a lollipop.

Aomine was silent for several moments, staring at the figure of Tamaki and tracing it with his eyes, his mind going back to the last serious conversation that he had with Tamaki in her house just before the Inter High tournament.

"…_Aomine-kun, you **changed.** You're no longer the Aomine-kun whom I knew. **Everyone **changed. I can accept it. But you… **You **changed most of all. So much so that I can no longer recognise that it's you." Tamaki whispered, staring down at her hands. "You no longer love playing basketball. I want to see it. An Aomine-kun that loves playing basketball." She laced her fingers together. "When we first started out – even before we became known as the Generation of Miracles, we all started playing because we **love** the game. But by the time that we're in our third year, I can honestly say that no one on Teiko loves playing basketball anymore. Especially **you."** Her voice rang true in Aomine's heart. "That's why I left. I cannot bear to see an Aomine-kun that hates basketball."_

"Did I really change?" Aomine murmured to himself.

"_After the National final, I then realised something…" Tamaki continued as if Aomine had never spoken. "I'd also become too dependent on you. The team changed drastically. Kise-kun used to love playing basketball, as is Sei, Midorima-kun, and maybe Murasakibara-kun. But by the time we're in our third year, I don't see the love for basketball in them anymore. The way that all of us delights in flattening our opponents until they hates basketball as much as we do…" She trailed off. "I…can't stand playing like that. All these changes happened without me realising it. But for me to stay and watch the team…watch **you** play basketball as if it's the one thing on earth that you hate the most…" Tamaki trailed off slowly. "It's too much."_

Aomine dawned on Tamaki's words. _'It's not like it's our fault that we grew strong,' _he thought stubbornly, the stubborn part of him not wanting to admit that it's their fault that basketball players everywhere grew pale at the mere mention of Teiko. But the rational part of him knew that what Tamaki had said is true. Every word of it.

'_No, but it is __**our **__fault that we made our opponents hate basketball as much as they do.' _A voice that strangely sounds like Tamaki's echoed in his head.

Aomine stared at the photo for several moments before sighing, placing it into his front blazer pocket. _'Is that when we've started changing?' _Aomine wondered, remembering Tamaki's words. _'Because we grew __**too **__strong for our own good?'_

A upside down figure of a pink haired girl appeared in his view of sight then, and Aomine scowled. "What do you want, Satsuki?" he demanded.

"How rude!" Momoi Satsuki sniffed. "And to think that I came here to tell you about Tamaki-chan too." She grinned, as she knew that she had gotten his attention now. Whenever she wants Aomine to pay attention to her or to at least do something, all that she had to do is to mention the name of his crush since middle school. Though she doesn't use this card often obviously.

"What about Tamaki?" Aomine demanded, sitting up at once.

"Seirin is having a match against Seiho now." Satsuki informed her childhood friend. Aomine raised an eyebrow, as if saying 'and this concerns me how?' Satsuki grinned like the cat that had gotten the canary. "And one of Seiho's players is _Tsugawa Tomoki."_

Aomine frowned, trying to put a face to that name before the grinning face of a bald player came to his memory. He should remember, since he had used a picture of that face for dart practice in his room during second year of middle school.

Aomine growled. "Where is their match held?" he demanded.

**XXXXXX**

A whistle blew out sharply.

"Charging! White 10!"

Over at Seirin's bench, Riko nearly face palmed herself in exasperation. This match is _just _not going their way! Sure, they've already expected for the match to be tough, since Seiho definitely didn't get their name as one of the three kings for nothing, but no one on Seirin expected for the match to be _this _one-sided!

"Just how easily does that idiot get angry?" Riko growled to herself, wishing that she can just wrap her own fingers around Kagami's neck and shake him until he had calmed down. Sighing to herself, the brunette could only pray to herself that Tamaki could somehow work her magic on Kagami, like how she had done so many times during their past matches.

"Kagami, calm down!" Koganei who was on the bench called out to the redhead, hoping to at least diffuse his anger slightly.

Tamaki glanced at the scoreboard. The game count is currently at 0-12, with Seiho in the lead, and with one minute and twenty seconds more to go before the end of the first quarter. This isn't looking good…

"Kagami-kun, you already have two fouls." Tamaki informed her teammate. "Get five and you're out."

"I know." Kagami twitched at this reminder. "Somehow, their movements are impossible to play against."

Tamaki frowned as she studied the Seiho team. _'It has been bothering me for some time now,' _she thought. _'Their movements are different from that of other teams, but they're not really doing anything all that different. Yet those movements… It seems kind of familiar. And that Tsugawa guy…' _She glanced at the after mentioned player who seemed to have noticed her stare and grinned and winked at her, causing Kagami to glare at the bald player. Midorima who is playing on the opposite court, and Kise who was sitting in the bleachers with Kasamatsu both sent death glares to the bald player. _'His movements are definitely different from the time in middle school.'_

Hyuuga meanwhile was scowling to himself. _'Seriously? I thought that the Generation of Miracles were the only ones who could shut down Kagami.'_

'_We can't even pass.' _Riko thought nervously, glancing at Tamaki who seemed to be studying the opposing team fervently, looking for an opening. _'We won't be able to make plays with Tamaki-chan.'_

Izuki who currently had possession of the ball passed it to Tamaki who was nearby. The blue haired girl caught it easily, and her eye twitched in annoyance when she saw that every single one of her teammates were currently getting guarded by a Seiho player, leaving no openings for her at all.

'_Again?'_

* * *

"Seiho's defense is man-to-man." Kasamatsu remarked, watching the Seirin versus Seiho match closely. "But this is no ordinary man-to-man. They're creating pressure by staying right on their guys the whole time. You can't break away from them so easily. No matter how good you are at passing, if no one's free, you're playing at half power."

"Their defense is strong, but they'll never last until the end of the game playing like that." Kise commented, his eyes trailing to his former teammate down on the court. _'And it looks like Tamacchi's getting pissed.' _He thought.

* * *

'_I was saving this to use against Shutoku, but it looks like I have no other choice.' _Tamaki thought, dribbling the ball, her eyes glancing around the court. _'Here I go!'_

She took one step forward using her right foot, with that one movement getting noticed by all the players currently on the court, and she then vanished.

Riko's eyes widened, along with every other.

No, not vanished, Tamaki is just moving so quickly down the court whilst in possession of the ball, that she almost appeared like a blur to anyone watching, zigzagging among all the players like they weren't even there.

Kise who was in the bleachers was taken aback at this. _'She's bringing this out so soon?' _he thought, bewildered. _'But damn, isn't she faster than in middle school? I know that Tamacchi had always been the fastest out of all of us, but this is beyond human limits!' _He thought, shocked. _'She didn't show this when she was practicing with me that day to get a hang of her old style again.'_

On the other court, Midorima's eyes widened in astonishment. _'T-That is…!' _he thought in shock, temporarily forgetting about his own game.

Akashi who was leaning against the wall felt his composure slipping for the first time in years, his eyes widened. _'That is…' _He gulped. _'Part of her old style. Mirage.' _He smiled.

'_It's still way too early for you to start looking down on Seirin!' _Tamaki thought to herself, zooming down the court, with all the players on the court appearing almost like blurs to her, as she was moving so quickly that it's nearly impossible to stop her.

"Are you serious?" Kasamatsu gaped.

"Stop her!" Iwamura shouted to his shocked team, but no one could seem to move.

Kagami who is near the basket, and currently getting guarded by Tsugawa was as shocked as everyone else, but he felt himself snapping out of his shock when a small hand grasped hold of his arm, and before he knew it, he is standing in front of the basket, unguarded. The ball appeared in front of him, and Kagami caught it on instinct.

"Jump."

Kagami looked over his shoulder, shocked, only to see a surprised Tsugawa now getting _guarded _by Tamaki herself. There is a steely glint in the blue haired girl's eyes, and Kagami grinned and nodded, leaping into the air and scoring a dunk easily, thus earning Seirin their first basket of the game.

* * *

"What the hell was that?" Kasamatsu gaped, along with everyone as Riko called for time out. "Is that even possible?"

Kise smiled, with it having been a long time since he had last seen Tamaki use this style. Though by the fact that she didn't even shoot, he guessed that she still didn't have enough confidence to score a goal with her right hand.

"It's been awhile since I've seen her use her old style." The blonde commented. "That style is what gives her the name of the phantom player."

"Her old style? You mean she didn't always use the misdirection style?" Kasamatsu asked in confusion.

"Yeah," said Kise with a nod. "She only started using the misdirection style during third year. Our captain taught her it, and even that was deviated from her old style. Her original style is her own. A completely original one. One that no one could use but her." Kise grinned. "Our captain back then named the style 'Mirage'." He grinned at his bewildered captain. "It's the nightmare of every single one of our opponents back then, to face the phantom player when she had possession of the ball." Kise smirked darkly. Tamaki don't often score, usually leaving this task to her other teammates. But when she does, there is just no way to stop her. And as far as Kise knew, the only person in history to ever stop Tamaki is her old partner. "After all, how can you stop someone whom you can't even see?"

**XXXXXX**

"Mitobe, he's yours!"

Mitobe immediately headed towards Iwamura who currently had possession of the ball, causing the Seiho captain to pass the ball over towards to Tsugawa who was standing nearby. Kagami immediately tried to block him, but was immediately awarded another foul.

"Foul! White 10!"

Hyuuga paled. _'Hey, isn't that the third one already?' _he thought in dismay, his mind still reeling over what Riko had told them during time out – that Seiho incorporate old martial arts into their basketball. _'And on top of it, Tamaki can't always use that technique.' _The Seirin captain glanced at the blue haired girl, recalling what Tamaki had told the team during the time out.

"_You can't always use it?" The entire team echoed as one, staring at Tamaki. "Why not?"_

_Tamaki looked back at her team. "It's not some magic or anything," she explained. "For me to be able to use that technique successfully, there are two conditions." She put up two fingers. "One, there must be a clear course for me. In other words, the opposing team members MUST be guarded. And two, there must be someone near the basket." She told them. _'Well, if it's in middle school, I can usually score it myself. But…' _She frowned. "And I can't use it consecutively either." Tamaki told her team. "A high speed technique like that eats up a lot of my stamina."_

**XXXXXX**

"I thought Seirin's engine was finally running when Kagami scored their first basket, but they haven't managed to take another step." Kise remarked, leaning with his chin against his hand.

"You can't call yourself a king just for playing good defense." Kasamatsu told Kise. "Their offense is exceptional too." Kise only 'hmmed'. Kasamatsu leaned back into his chair. "Seiho may not have prodigal scorers like you or Kagami, but they're a different type of team. They incorporate old martial arts into their offense too. Seiho isn't a team of prodigies. They're a team of experts." He glanced over at Kasuga and Iwamura.

Kise looked interested at those words, glancing over at Tamaki. "There are some experts on Seirin too," he commented with a smile.

**XXXXXX**

A whistle went off.

"Out of bounds! White ball!" The referee called out, with the game count currently at 6-15, with Seiho in the lead.

"Six point difference, huh?" Tsugawa frowned to himself, walking down the court, not really paying attention to where he is walking until he bumped into someone. "Hmm?" He looked down only to see the cute blue haired girl that he was hitting on earlier before their game.

"Sorry."

Tsugawa blinked and blinked, startled to realise that she had been playing on the court against him all this while, and not on the bench like he had originally assumed. "Have you been playing this game? I didn't even notice!" he exclaimed.

Tamaki looked annoyed, though this is only obvious to Kise and Akashi, and maybe even Kagami. "I have been playing," she deadpanned. "Since the first quarter."

"Are you serious? You've got so little presence!"

Kagami was wondering if it's legal and within the rules for him to punch that annoying guy, whilst Hyuuga was twitching next to the redhead. _'He's played her before in the past, but he doesn't even remember her? And not to mention that he had been hitting on her before the match!'_

"Hey, did you know?" Tamaki blinked, as Tsugawa was nearly into her face, much to Kagami's annoyance. "Last year, our team was ahead of yours by 20 points in the first quarter." Hyuuga growled menacingly in his throat. "That's why I want to make it 30." He told Tamaki proudly.

'_If this is your way of picking up girls, pal, then you've failed utterly.' _Kise thought in growing anger, just half a step away from getting onto the court and strangling the annoying freshman. _'Seirin, you guys had better __**not **__lose here.'_

"Well, don't let it get you down!" Tsugawa told Tamaki, much to her annoyance. "That's why, if Seiho beats Seirin by a margin of 80 points, go out with me, okay?"

Tamaki stared at him for a long time without saying anything. _'You're asking for a date during a match? And looking down on my team at the same time?' _she thought, unsure if this guy isn't touched in the head. _'Are you for real?'_

Up at the bleachers, Kise sighed, suddenly glad that Aomine isn't here. If he is here and had heard what Tsugawa had told Tamaki, well, let's just say that Tsugawa won't be looking at basketball the same way again.

**XXXXXX**

The game continued, and it is now back to man-to-man defense once more.

This time however, Tamaki isn't in possession of the ball, and thus, could not use her speed trick. Though Riko had actually forbid her from using it again in the match, after learning that it will eat up her stamina, and the coach actually needs Kagami and Tamaki both for the Shutoku match later.

Izuki who currently is in possession of the ball passed the ball behind him towards Mitobe. Kasuga smirked at this. _'A random pass like that will never…' _His eyes widened in shock when Tamaki appeared from out of nowhere and passed it straight towards Mitobe from Iwamura's blind spot.

Mitobe immediately took advantage of the chance and scored.

"What was that pass just now? It came back like a boomerang!"

"No, it didn't. It came back because someone tapped it."

* * *

Kise chuckled. "Looks like the iron wall of Seiho's defense has never seen a pass from inside their walls before," he remarked.

* * *

The buzzer went off, signaling the end of the first quarter, with the game count currently being at 19-19.

"End of the first quarter!" The referee announced.

"By the way, I heard this guy said something stupid again." Iwamura said solemnly to Hyuuga, holding Tsugawa up by the back of his jersey as the two teams started to make their way off the court for the two minute intermission.

Hyuuga chuckled. "Yeah. Honestly, it brought back memories of last year's trauma," he said. His face then darkened. "Though you can also tell him to stop hitting on Tamaki." He said darkly. "She doesn't appreciate it. And if he don't stop it, there _are _quite a few people who would like nothing more than to introduce him to their fists."

Iwamura glared at Tsugawa who whimpered, before turning back to his fellow captain. "Sorry," he apologized.

"It's fine." Hyuuga said. The Seiho team frowned. "We got over it." He said simply.

**XXXXXX**

A whistle blew out.

"Seirin! Member change!"

Akashi raised an eyebrow as he watched both his cousin and that Kagami guy walked back towards Seirin's bench, with the redhead having a scowl on his face. Two of the benched Seirin second years then entered the court in their stead.

"I see…" Akashi muttered to himself, figuring out what Seirin's plan is by benching both of their key members. _'Even if they win against Seiho, they need a strategy to play against Shintaro later on. And the only ones that even stood a chance against him are Tama and that Kagami guy. But they can't do that if they're tired out. Probably part of the reason why Tama hadn't used the offensive skills of her Mirage play ever since the first quarter.' _He glanced at his cousin. _'And with that Kagami guy having made four fouls, all the more that he can't play.' _He smirked. _'If Seirin wants to defeat Seiho without those two, I hope that they have a game plan in mind. It won't be an easy battle.'_

**XXXXXX**

A whistle blew out.

Riko rushed to the downed Koganei in a panic who had tripped over their bench when ensuring that the ball wouldn't go out of bounds, and had hit his head instead.

It is currently the fourth quarter, with a game count of 49-54, with Seiho in the lead. As this is the first time when Tamaki had actually seen the Seirin second years play without her or Kagami, she is interested to see how they fare, playing with a team that had been developing since the previous year. Any basketball veteran would be able to tell that the play style that Seirin had developed around herself and Kagami is still in development, with just how shaky that the formation still is.

Kagami was surprised to find the silent Mitobe dunking, also showing his skill at hook shooting. And the freshmen nearly sweat dropped when they learned that Koganei can shoot at all ranges, with his accuracy being 'so-so', thus resulting in him actually missing two free shots, much to Tsuchida's annoyance, the latter who actually specialises in rebounds.

Izuki's special skill, the 'Eagle Eye' also came out in play during the third quarter, confusing the Seiho team, as it is almost like the Seirin point guard could see the entire court from a bird's eye view, which unknown to them, Izuki _could._

Currently though, the Seirin members were more concerned with Koganei who seemed to have suffered from a light concussion by hitting his head on the ground.

"Koganei-kun!"

"Sempai, are you okay?" Kagami asked with concern.

"I think it's a light concussion," said Riko, peering into Koganei's unfocused eyes. "We might have to sub him out."

"Then let me play!" Kagami said immediately.

"What are you talking about?" said Hyuuga, annoyed. "You can't play! Have you forgotten just why we're conserving your energy? We'll settle this."

"But I can't just sit still—"

Kagami was cut off as Tamaki slammed his mouth closed with her right hand. "I agree," said Tamaki, growing tired of Kagami's arguments. Honestly, which part of 'we need you for the match against Shutoku' does he _not _understand? "So the guy with four fouls should just stay on the bench." Kagami glared at Tamaki, but before he could argue, Tamaki cut in. "If you foul Tsugawa-kun again, you'll just be thrown off the court." Her eyes had a steely glint in it that dared him to argue.

Kagami twitched. "I won't!" he argued, not wanting to admit that Tamaki's reasoning had merit in it. "That's why I've got to pay Tsugawa back for what he did!"

Tamaki sighed to herself. Why is it that both her 'lights' were such stubborn hot headed basketball idiots? "Very well," she said solemnly, much to everyone's surprise. "Then I will beat Tsugawa-kun for you."

"What?" Kagami could only stare. "What is that? There is no point if you beat him!"

"Then do you want to get kicked off the court?"

"Like I'm saying, I _won't! _Besides, just what are you talking about in the first place?"

Hyuuga glanced at the scoreboard, a frown on his face. _'Five more minutes, and a six point difference,' _he thought. He glanced back at the arguing duo.

Or rather, it is just Kagami who is trying to argue his point. Tamaki had a steely glint in her eyes, as she had a ready answer for every single one of Kagami's arguments. And Hyuuga had to remind himself repeatedly that even though Tamaki may look like that, she _is _still a regular of the legendary basketball team.

"Very well," said Hyuuga at last, and Kagami turned towards the Seirin captain. "As another freshman, I'm leaving Tsugawa to you, Tamaki." He told the blue haired girl seriously.

Kagami blanched whilst Tamaki nodded.

**XXXXXX**

"Seirin! Member change!"

The Seiho team was surprised when the player that was subbed out to take Koganei's place wasn't Kagami, but instead, Tamaki. No one was more surprised than Tsugawa himself, who was looking forward to facing Kagami once more.

"What? It's you?" Tsugawa sulked, ignoring the prickling sensation at the back of his head that this blue haired girl is the _last person _whom he even wanted to face on the court. "I wanted to face Kagami. But no matter." His face brightened up as he turned to face Tamaki. "If I beat you here, go on a date with me!"

Over at Seirin's bench, Riko nearly face palmed herself in exasperation, and the Seiho team looked as if they wanted to shake their freshman player. How many times does this make now? And just how many times must Tsugawa ask Tamaki this question? Does he not understand the meaning of the word 'no'?

Tamaki's eye twitched. "You're welcome to try," she said coolly, and Tsugawa looked taken aback. "That is if you can do it." She told him steely. _'Don't you dare look down on Seirin.'_

**XXXXXX**

Tsugawa panicked, looking back and forth for Tamaki whom he is marking only to see Izuki passing the ball to the blue haired girl. She immediately passed it to Hyuuga who managed to slip past the defences of the Seiho player who is marking him, managing to score a goal, thus making the game score at 51-54, still with Seiho in the lead.

'_I lost her! How did…? When did she…?' _Tsugawa spluttered. He got that bad feeling again. The one that he always had when there is something important that he _should_ remember, but _couldn't._

Hyuuga grinned at Tamaki, who smiled back.

Iwamura was slightly out of breath, wondering what was going on. _'What's going on?' _he thought, bewildered. _'Those passes are strong without a doubt. But even the receivers are slipping past the defense!'_

Seiho is currently in possession of the ball, and Hyuuga immediately took his chance to steal the ball as a Seiho player attempted to make a pass to a fellow player. The Seirin captain made for the basket only to be blocked by Tsugawa, and Hyuuga immediately passed it to Tamaki who was standing nearby. Tamaki then made a quick tap pass towards Mitobe who scored a basket easily.

"What is this?" Tsugawa panted, out of breath. "What is going on?" He demanded.

"They know our movements!" A Seiho player realised.

It is the only explanation after all. A Seirin player is always present at their blind spots, taking advantage of the chances to steal the ball and score a goal before they even realised what is going on.

Matsumoto Yukinoki, Seiho's coach frowned. "They got us," he remarked. "I've never seen anyone study us so thoroughly before."

Back on the court, Hyuuga grinned at Iwamura. "Thanks to you guys, one of our DVD players is ruined," he told the confused Seiho captain.

**XXXXXX**

"As their name suggests, old martial arts are ancient," said Kasamatsu, impressed at Seirin's ingenuity, though he didn't show it. "Their thought process is completely different from modern sports science. Applying those specialized movements to basketball is Seiho's strength, but…"

**XXXXXX**

Akashi smirked. _'If you're specialized, you've got habits,' _he thought, remembering the number of times during his Teiko days when they've figured out an opposing school's play just because of their habits. _'I wonder just how hard and long that they've studied in order to figure out those habits though.' _He mused, glancing at the Seirin team. _'I guess I can understand in a way just why Tama chose to attend that school.'_

**XXXXXX**

'_Because of that, we haven't been able to deal with them until the second half.' _Hyuuga thought to himself. _'And it's not really obvious enough to call it a habit anyway.'_

Subbing out Tamaki and Kagami for energy conservation for the match against Shutoku isn't the only reason. The other reason is that only the second years have studied Seiho's matches to such an extent to be able to read their movements whilst on the field. Tamaki and Kagami's training with Riko during that week is specially to deal with Shutoku.

Back on the bench, Kagami was watching Tamaki with awe as she circulated those passes that he had caught many a time whilst on the court. Was this how the spectators have felt every single time they watched Tamaki on the field? He could see now just why she's a regular of the legendary basketball team.

'_Now that I think about it, this is the first time that I've watched Tamaki from the bench.' _Kagami thought, watching as Tamaki circulate pass after pass to her teammates, creating numerous opportunities to score, despite Seiho's best attempts to stop them. "Amazing…"

Riko grinned at Kagami. "What? You just noticed? She's always like this." She jabbed Kagami in the side.

**XXXXXX**

Tsuchida scored a three pointer, thus making the score 70-69, with Seirin currently in the lead, and with thirty seconds to go before the end of the fourth quarter.

'_The hard part comes now.' _Akashi thought, glancing at the angered faces on the Seiho players. _'Being one of the three kings, they have strong pride, and won't just take it lying down like this.' _He smirked, glancing at his cousin. _'What are you going to do, Tama?'_

'_How can they try so hard during the last few seconds?' _Izuki thought in annoyance, currently in possession of the ball after Iwamura had dunked a ball in just two seconds ago.

Seiho had stuck to their man-to-man defense once more, only on full court this time. Out of the corner of his eye, Izuki spotted an opening, and immediately passed the ball to Tamaki who easily slipped past the defences of the Seiho player marking her.

"Damn it!" Iwamura cursed.

Tamaki got ready to pass the ball towards Tsuchida who had also managed to slip past the defenses of the Seiho player who was marking him, only to be taken aback as Tsugawa appeared in front of her in an instant, and her eye twitched.

'_Enough out of you already!' _she growled.

* * *

"Tsugawa? How?" Kise gaped.

Seirin is just _this_ close to victory!

"He found her by calculating backwards from the pass course!" Kasamatsu deduced.

* * *

Akashi smirked as he eyed the timer on the scoreboard.

'_Let's see it, Tama,' _he thought.

* * *

"_Tamaki!" _Kagami shouted from the bench.

'_This isn't all that I'm capable of.' _Tamaki thought, annoyed, slipping her hand past the ball, and smacking it towards Hyuuga instead, changing her pass target in an instant, much to Tsugawa's shock. _'And with that, the rest is up to you.'_

Tamaki watched as Hyuuga took a shot from the three pointer line. And almost as if in slow motion, she watched as the ball soared towards the basket and went in just as the buzzer went off, making the game count at 73-71, with it being Seirin's victory.

"Yes!"

Seirin cheered, and Koganei ran out to the court to join his teammates in a group hug, not caring about his mild concussion. Tsuchida ruffled Tamaki's hair in glee, happy that they've won, and Tamaki smiled.

"We won!"

Seiho sighed to themselves in disappointment, surprised that a no-name school like Seirin could actually manage to beat them, one of the three kings of Tokyo.

"We lost." One of the Seiho players admitted. _'Those guys are strong.'_

Meanwhile, Tsugawa was furious, feeling his world come crashing down around him when it was announced that Seirin had won. He is sure for a moment that he is dreaming or even hallucinating. There is just no way that Seirin could manage to beat Seiho! But the cheers that had filled the entire gymnasium, and the happy faces on the Seirin players didn't fade away, and he knew that it is no dream.

"Why?" Tsugawa shouted at Seirin, and the happy players turned towards him, bewildered. The blue haired girl among their midst looked at him with a strange look, and he growled. He doesn't need pity! "Seirin was just formed last year! We definitely practiced way more than you did! You didn't even stand a chance last year! No matter how you look at it, we're stronger!"

"Enough, Tsugawa." Iwamura cut off Tsugawa's tirade. The captain had a resigned look in his eyes, and one of…respect as he looked at the Seirin team. After all, they are the team to beat them, one of the three kings. "The strong don't win. The winners are the strong ones. They were stronger. That's all." He told his junior.

Tsugawa clenched his teeth in fury, glaring at the back of the blue haired girl who is getting ready to head back to her team's bench. The girl that he just wouldn't _stop _hitting on throughout the entire match, and the same girl whom he felt as if he had seen or met somewhere before.

"Tell me your name!" he demanded. At the very least, he wanted to know the name of the person who he wanted to swear revenge on.

If Tamaki was surprised at this question, she didn't show it. She merely glanced at Tsugawa with an unreadable expression in her eyes. "…Kuroko Tamaki," she answered. That name rang a bell in Tsugawa's head. She gave him a small smile. "It was a good game." She told him. "You played well, as did your teammates. Because right to the end, no one on both teams gave up."

Tsugawa's eyes widened a slight fraction. He seemed to have remembered someone saying something similar to him once upon a time. But when was it? Was it when he was back in middle school?

He eyed that shade of blue hair that the girl had. Another thing that got him so interested in this girl when he had first seen her on the court. He doesn't know anyone else who had that shade of blue hair, as it is pretty rare. In fact, he only recalled one person having that shade of blue hair…

Tsugawa's eyes widened when his memory came back to him.

"_It's not fair!" Tsugawa shouted at the Teiko player who had started marking him after the Teiko captain had finally relented to let the blonde change marks, much to his relief. "We played as hard as we could, and we trained ourselves to death when we heard that we'll be up against you! So just why couldn't we win?"_

_The blue haired girl glanced back over her shoulder at the upset Tsugawa. Her Teiko teammates frowned at Tsugawa's shout, and their ace, the one with the tanned skin and dark blue hair looked as if he was about to walk over there, but a warning frown from the redhead captain stopped him._

"_It's a good match," she said mysteriously. "Your team played well. You gave us the best challenge that we had for a long time."_

_It is true in a way. _

_Minamoto Middle School is the first school that year to even clinch 50 points past Teiko Middle School. Most teams could only hope to get 20 points at most against the legendary team. But still, it didn't change the fact that Teiko had just slaughtered them with 198 points to their 50._

_But Tsugawa wasn't satisfied. "Don't give me that when you've just defeated us!" he shouted, stamping his foot like a spoiled child, much to the Teiko players' amusement. "You—"_

"_You didn't give up, did you?" The girl asked him coolly, and Tsugawa found his voice stuck in his throat. "You didn't give up. Right until the end of the match, you didn't give up." She told him._

_Tsugawa gritted his teeth, clenching his hands into fists, not happy in the least that Teiko had slaughtered his team like this. "What's your name?" he demanded. "Tell me your name! I want to know the name of the person that I'll take revenge on next year!"_

"_Tamaki, we're leaving! Don't waste time talking to trash like him." Teiko's ace called out to the girl, shooting Tsugawa a dirty look even as the entire team picked up their bags._

"_I'm coming," said the girl, Tamaki, before turning back towards him. "I'm Kuroko Tamaki. I hope to see you again in a match someday." She told him before walking past him and joining the rest of her team._

"AH!" The entire court – both Seirin and Seiho, were silenced at Tsugawa's sudden shout. Now, everyone were staring at him like an alien as he pointed a shaking finger at Tamaki who merely cocked her head to one side and was staring at him curiously. "I REMEMBER NOW!" He shouted. "YOU'RE ONE OF THE GENERATION OF MIRACLES!"

Silence…

Even the spectators in the bleachers were silenced at the shout. Midorima who was sitting on Shutoku's bench glanced over at Tsugawa and shook his head, mumbling something about idiots who had a pea-sized brain. Kise nearly face palmed himself.

"He only remembered it _now?"_ The blonde muttered.

Akashi twitched from his position. If that bald player continued pointing and staring at his cousin like what he is currently doing, he won't need that finger anymore.

The entire Seiho team was both surprised and shocked at this revelation by their kouhai. On the other hand, Seirin was just staring at Tsugawa like he's an alien. It was one of the freshmen reserve players who had joined them in their group hug who broke the silence.

"You only realised this _now?" _Fukuda deadpanned. "Even though you've played her before?"

Tsugawa ignored that comment, glaring at Tamaki. To think that such a strong player was in a no-name school like Seirin! No wonder he had found that girl familiar, and her play style even more so! He had played her before! She played as a regular in that monster team when he was still in middle school!

"Yes, I am one of the Generation of Miracles," said Tamaki politely, saying it with a tone that made it seem as if it is something as common as saying that the sky is blue. Seirin and Seiho both sweat dropped. "And so?"

Kagami face palmed. "Tamaki…" he groaned.

Tsugawa exploded. "YOU'RE THE _VICE-CAPTAIN _OF THE GENERATION OF MIRACLES, FOR CRYING OUT LOUD!" He nearly screamed. "WHY IS SOMEONE LIKE YOU IN A NO-NAME SCHOOL LIKE SEIRIN?"

He just doesn't understand! Why is a regular of the legendary basketball team playing for a no-name school like Seirin whose team was only created just a year ago? Why didn't she join a stronger school like Shutoku, Touou, Kaijo or Rakuzan even? He'd heard that the other members of the Generation of Miracles have all split and went to strong schools in order to challenge each other as they could not find a decent enough challenge. So why didn't she do the same?

Tsugawa knew for a fact that the high school basketball circuit were all patting themselves on the backs and sighing in relief when the Generation of Miracles have all split up. Tsugawa won't deny that he is the same as well. He has no wish to challenge them again, especially after his school had lost even before facing Teiko during the Inter High during his third year. Teiko's team had been unusually vicious and aggressive that year for some reason.

There were several rumours going around after that when he had started high school regarding the reason behind the split of the ultimate team. But the main one had been that the Generation of Miracles just could not find anyone strong enough to challenge them, and thus, they have then decided that the only one strong enough to challenge them is just another fellow member of the Generation of Miracles.

Thus the reason behind the split.

"_Whaaaaaat?"_

The simultaneous shrieks from the Seirin players silenced Tsugawa and the Seiho team. Tsugawa blinked, as the Seirin players looked as if the almighty kami-sama is in front of them. Tamaki looked annoyed, and the Seirin captain looked as if he had just swallowed a lemon. An _extremely _sour lemon.

"What do you mean, 'what'?" Tsugawa demanded. "You mean you people didn't even know that you got the _vice-captain _of the Generation of Miracles? The Number 2 player in the middle school basketball circuit?"

Tsugawa had been in the same year as the Generation of Miracles after all, and he had been there when they'd first debuted during their freshman year. Teiko had taken the middle school basketball circuit by storm when they have simply breezed through all their matches, despite all the starting players being freshmen. The phantom sixth player, the Tamaki girl _had _remained unknown during their first two years. But she only became known after some accident had occurred during the Winter Cup championship league during their second year. The entire middle school basketball circuit knew about that, as Teiko is famous after all. And the fact that their sixth player went missing right until the start of their third year played a major factor in it as well.

"You never told us that!" Kagami told Tamaki, surprised.

Tamaki shrugged. "It wasn't important," she said. She then turned towards Tsugawa. "I have my own reasons for playing in Seirin, of course." She said coolly. "But I don't see how it's any of your business." Her voice had a warning tone to it.

Tsugawa gritted his teeth. "Kuroko Tamaki…" he growled, repeating the name so that he wouldn't forget it. "I'll remember this name. I'll remember it this time. I definitely won't forget." He swore.

Tamaki looked surprised, then she smiled. "Thanks," she told him, even as she followed her team towards the locker room after the after match greeting. The blue haired girl then glanced over at the opposite court at Shutoku who is also just finishing up their match. _'Shutoku,' _she thought to herself. _'It's going to get tough after this.'_

* * *

_A/N: And finally done! I'm finally done with Seiho's match! And I've also caught up with the anime! And a big thank you to everyone who had reviewed or had placed this story on your favourites and story alerts. You guys made my day when I came home one day and found email after email in my inbox._

_So the next chapter is the match against Shutoku, and it will divert a little from canon for that, as I'm having Tamaki use some aspects of her old style against Midorima. She **didn't **use it during the Seiho match as she's saving it to use against Shutoku, and not to mention that she wanted to conserve her strength. You'll be seeing a clash between two members of the Generation of Miracles next chapter!_

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and look forward to the next one! Please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	9. The Mirage Player

_Tamaki's left hand: _Right, I got a few questions about her left hand – can she use it for daily life like for writing and so on? Her control over her left hand muscle movements is nearly nil, so _maybe _if she takes it slowly, she _might _be able to use it for writing, but otherwise, it is nearly impossible for her to use it even for daily life. She can't even use strength in that hand, let alone control the muscle movements, like what was shown in chapter 7 when Midorima had dropped his bear.

_Riko being aware about Tamaki's injury:_ Yes, the tea incident a few chapters ago might have caught her attention, but think about it from another perspective. Riko might find it weird that even though Izuki was yowling with pain from the tea that had scalded him whilst Tamaki didn't even seem to have felt it; she won't suspect that there is actually _anything _wrong with Tamaki's hand. Sure, the incident that had happened to Tamaki is during her second year, and thus, Kiyoshi and Hyuuga should be aware of it, as they should be in third year of middle school then. But I'm going to assume that the both of them weren't as involved with basketball as they were before in their third year, with Hyuuga quitting the game because of his defeat against Teiko, and Kiyoshi maybe because of entrance exams into high school? Riko only _suspects_ something weird, but she didn't know _anything _about Tamaki's injury. And it will probably stay that way unless I decide otherwise.

_Spelling of '-sempai': _Yes, I know the actual spelling should really be '-senpai', but I've been using the spelling of '-sempai' for years, so I'm sticking to it. Besides, I like using the _m_ version rather than the other one, as when I listened to how Kagami and Kuroko addresses their seniors in the anime, it sounds more like '-seMpai' than '-seNpai'.

_Why use her old style?: _Well, this is fanfiction, and I never really did like how canon makes Kuroko out to be so weak that he can't even shoot until he asks Aomine to teach him. I want my version of Kuroko to be a little more capable than that. Besides, I've already established her childhood, and that she grew up playing basketball with Akashi. And if she grew up playing with Akashi, she is bound to be good.

_Shutoku versus Seirin:_ There will be a _little _humour during this match. You'll see what I mean later. And yes, Tamaki will be using some aspects of her old style in this match, but not _all _of it. She's only been using her right hand for a little over a year, folks! You can't expect her to be able to achieve full control over it during that short period of time, can you?

_My grammar, or lack thereof: _Yes, I'm well aware of this problem ever since I first started writing on FF. My grammar had always been a major problem for me, as I tend to switch around tenses and never knew when to use 'has' instead of 'had'. And like what I've mentioned in my earlier chapters, I've also quite given up on having a beta reader, since I seem to have quite an unlucky streak concerning beta readers, since every single one that I had disappeared off the earth within three months! So my suggestion is that if you spotted any errors, mention it in a review and the amendments with it, and I'll go back to change it.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Nine: The Mirage Player**

"_He might look like that, but he was still in Teiko with you. He's a veteran." - Kasamatsu Yukio_

**XXXXXX**

The tension surrounding the Seirin team seemed to get even worse as time ticked on, fast approaching 5PM – the time for the Inter High preliminaries finals, in which Seirin would be playing against Shutoku, one of the three kings of Tokyo. Aida Riko, Seirin's student coach was not helping any matters either by shouting commands at her players who were all currently gathered in their locker room.

"Go put on jackets before your bodies get cold! Make sure you stretch!" Riko shouted at the team who were all putting on their team jackets, whilst Riko herself was massaging Hyuuga's legs who was seated on one of the benches. "Also, take some amino acids to restore your energy! Don't forget to calorie charge! I'll come massage each of you, so take off your shoes!"

Tamaki who is pulling on her team jacket glanced at the older girl who is currently shouting commands and orders like a drill sergeant at her teammates, with the three other freshmen in the team apart from herself and Kagami getting ready the tapes and drinks for their next match. Fukuda was actually polishing a basketball in his hands whilst Furihata was handing out the amino acids and energy drinks that Riko had instructed him to hand out to the team.

'_Looks like the finals will be against Shutoku without a doubt.' _Tamaki thought absently, standing at her locker. _'But still, two matches in a day…' _She sighed, since even she's feeling the exhaustion seep in, despite the nearly three hour rest that they had after their match with Seiho earlier. _'But more importantly…' _Tamaki frowned inwardly as she glanced at her right hand, flexing her fingers. _'What I can currently manage for my Mirage style… Is it enough?' _She wondered.

Tamaki was then startled out of her inner musings from a shout by Riko.

"Hey Kagami! Your body will freeze up if you sleep!"

And so he was. The redhead was currently leaning against the lockers, fast asleep, snoring gently.

Tamaki's lips quirked slightly, as his sleeping posture reminded her awfully of a match that she once had during middle school, and how Aomine had fallen asleep in the middle of Satsuki's usual after match speech to the team, speaking to them about their performance. The manager wasn't pleased at having the ace fall asleep on her like that, but then again, it is common knowledge that Aomine can pretty much fall asleep anywhere. If Tamaki or Satsuki hadn't taken class notes for him throughout their three years of middle school, he would have probably flunked every single exam that he had taken.

Hyuuga chuckled with amusement, looking at the sleeping freshman. "Let him be."

Izuki who was gulping down an energy drink smiled. "He's not usually this down before a game," he commented, and Mitobe nodded in silent agreement.

"It's probably because he got four fouls." Koganei stated, plucking a banana off the bunch that he had. It had been pretty common to see several sportsmen eating bananas during the intervals between matches these days, as it helps to restore their energy. Then again, Koganei is the only one who actually ate bananas in their team, as Hyuuga had complained that eating bananas gives him the runs. "It's not anything to worry about."

"You being replaced at the end was a little unexpected though, Koga." Tsuchida added, much to Koganei's chagrin.

"Maybe he feels responsible in his own way." Hyuuga commented with a smile. "Besides, I don't think that he's just sleeping. He looks to me like he's saving every last bit of energy he has for the next game."

A slight buzzing sound from Tamaki's locker attracted her attention just then, and the blue haired girl opened her locker door to take her red cellphone that was vibrating slightly, with a basketball strap hanging from it, the bell attached to the strap tinkling slightly as she did so. She read the message that she had just received silently before turning towards her seniors.

"Sorry, I'll be leaving for a bit. I'll be right back," said Tamaki, walking towards the door, much to the team's confusion.

* * *

A certain red haired former Teiko captain was waiting for Tamaki near the area where the restrooms were located, as it's about the _only_ corridor in the entire gymnasium that is _not _currently occupied by either competing teams or spectators that are here for the match. Akashi looked up from where he was currently leaning against the wall with his arms crossed against his chest as he spotted his cousin approaching, and he gave one of his rare real smiles that he only ever showed around his mother or cousin.

"Sei!" Tamaki managed a small smile as she approached her cousin, not having seen him since their graduation from middle school, as Akashi had headed for Kyoto not long after that. As Rakuzan is a boarding school, there are a lot more procedures to handle and go through than the usual high schools, hence his early departure. And phone calls and emails just aren't the same as actually seeing her cousin in the flesh.

"Tama." Akashi greeted with a smile, ruffling his cousin's hair, much to her annoyance. The teal haired girl never did like it when people messed up her hair. "It's been a long time. And that's a good match against Seiho earlier."

"You were there? Why didn't you say anything?" Tamaki asked curiously.

Akashi grinned. "Well, I wanted to give you a surprise," he said. "Furthermore, the match after that is Shutoku against Seirin. I'm kind of interested to see how a match between two members of Teiko's regulars will fare against each other."

Tamaki sighed. "There you go again," she groaned.

As always, her cousin always had that annoying habit of treating the people around him like shogi pieces on a board. That often came out during their matches back in their Teiko days. Though Akashi's strategies nearly always worked in their favour, thus, no one is complaining, especially during their second year when the Teiko captain had very cleverly concocted a plan to kick a certain former player of the Generation of Miracles off the regulars when Kise had joined their team.

It rarely, if never happens, having a regular lose their position, especially if it's the Generation of Miracles. By the time that they were in their second year, Teiko already had a reputation as being the strongest team out there, especially when the Generation of Miracles had made their debut during freshman year. _That guy_ had only joined them _after _Akashi had stabilised the club, with him being a transfer student. His skills had easily proven him capable enough to join the regulars, and as Tamaki needs frequent breaks in between matches then, Akashi had approved _that guy _to join them. It is his personality that the _entire club _dislikes. Though he at least had the brains to _not _touch Tamaki.

Akashi aside, the other members of the regulars, also otherwise known as the Generation of Miracles will tear him apart if he so much as touch one hair on her head. Tamaki knew that her cousin, along with several of the others, like Aomine and Midorima, were searching for an excuse to kick _that guy _off the regulars, and with Kise's arrival, Akashi leapt at the chance to have the blonde replace _that guy _as one of the Generation of Miracles.

That is only part of the reason why the Teiko captain had gotten Tamaki to train Kise when he was first moved into the first string. Having a first string regular as a personal instructor isn't something that happened often, if at all, even if Tamaki's speciality is more towards coaching. And during the first days of Kise's coaching, the blonde received some trouble from the more jealous players of the other strings. At that time, Tamaki knew what her cousin's plan was even before he had told her – as he wanted Tamaki to prepare Kise and to polish his skills even further so that he is more than a match for _that guy._

And obviously, Haizaki Shougo didn't take his loss to the 'new guy' too well. But it is a fact that he _had _lost to Kise after Tamaki had drilled the blonde like a drill sergeant during that one month of harsh training. Thus, Akashi had cheerfully kicked him off the regulars and the club as a whole. And that had been the last that any of the Generation of Miracles had seen him, as he had left Teiko not long after that. However, not one of the Generation of Miracles had forgotten the death threats that he had issued to them when he had lost his position as a regular, especially his threats towards Kise, Akashi and Tamaki. It is almost like an unspoken agreement between the Generation of Miracles after that that they do not speak of Haizaki, as he is part of the dark history of Teiko's basketball club that they wanted to be kept hidden. Especially since _that guy _plays the one type of basketball that Akashi hates above anything else.

In fact, Akashi had spoken to Aomine and Midorima at one time, not realising that Tamaki had been in the vicinity, and had in fact, overheard their conversation. The redhead had wondered at one time during their third year that if the accident during the Winter Cup championship league game during their second year is masterminded by Haizaki. The accident might be something that Hanamiya would do, but even that guy must realise that even putting their ace out of commission won't be of much use, as all of Teiko's regulars are evenly matched in terms of skill then. If anything, putting one of their teammates _out_ of commission would only make them furious and much more difficult to beat.

Akashi smiled at his cousin before he turned serious. "Are you ready for your next match?" he asked with concern, seeing the obvious signs of fatigue and exhaustion on his cousin. The teal haired girl might have the advantage of already being through National league games, but her size still works in her disadvantage, as the rest of the players are all guys, and much bigger and stronger than she is when it comes to physical strength and endurance.

Tamaki smiled and nodded. "Yeah," she said. "I've already done all that I could." She rubbed at her left wrist unconsciously. "I just have to give it my all."

Akashi's sharp eyes noted Tamaki's small action of rubbing at her left wrist and he gave out a small huff. "I've been in contact with some doctors and specialists for sports injuries," he explained. "So far, the search is going slow, but I'll find one. I'll find a doctor that can heal you." He swore.

The redhead neglected to mention that the only reason why he even attended Rakuzan in the first place, aside from the fact that it is a prestigious school, and he had won a scholarship there, is because it will also help him in his search to find a doctor that can heal his cousin's hand. Kise, Midorima and Murasakibara actually have to physically restrain Akashi two years ago when the doctor at that time had told him that his cousin could never use her left hand again, and she also can never play basketball ever again.

Akashi's mother had been upset in the beginning when her only son had announced that he'll be attending Rakuzan High in _Kyoto,_ but she had finally relented when Akashi had promised to come home every weekend. Though Tamaki choosing to remain behind in Tokyo to attend high school had cheered her up slightly. Ever since her divorce with her husband when Akashi and Tamaki were in second year of middle school, she had been almost paranoid that one day, her children will leave her too, just like her ex-husband whom she had filed for divorce with for cheating on her, and her brother and his wife when they have passed away during that car accident.

Tamaki sighed. "It doesn't matter anyway."

"Well, it matters to me," said Akashi firmly. "I don't like to see that look on your face, Tama. You might not want to admit it, even to yourself, but I can tell that you're upset because you can no longer play like you used to." He sighed. "Enough about that. Just be careful against Shintaro." He warned. "Like you and all of us, he had grown stronger since graduation. And Shutoku isn't named one of Tokyo's three kings for nothing. Whether Seirin wins or not will depend on you and that Kagami guy."

Tamaki nodded. "Will you be leaving now?"

"And miss out on you kicking Shintaro's ass?" Akashi put on a face of mock horror, and Tamaki giggled. "Definitely not. I'll be staying to watch. Mom wants to know if you can come back with me for dinner tonight. I will have to catch the midnight train back to Kyoto today though."

Tamaki frowned. "I will have to see. Though I kind of miss Aunt Yuki's cooking," she admitted. She then glanced at her watch. "I have to go. Or my teammates are going to hunt me down."

"Well, I'll see you after the match," said Akashi, ruffling Tamaki's hair, much to her annoyance. "Good luck in the game."

Tamaki nodded.

* * *

Meanwhile, Kasamatsu Yukio was very annoyed, and very confused.

The reason being a certain blonde freshman of his that had dragged him all the way across the gymnasium to find his former teammate to talk with her, only to end up dragging him back the way that they have came from when they saw her talking with a redhead that had Kise paling two shades.

"Not going to talk to your former teammate?" Kasamatsu asked with annoyance. "And why the hell are you dragging me all over the place anyway?"

The Kaijo captain then blinked, as Kise looked ready to faint, he had gone so pale in the face and looked as if he is about to collapse right there and now. Kasamatsu wondered if he shouldn't call for the ambulance.

"Hey, are you all right?" The Kaijo captain asked in concern, touching Kise's forehead to check if he is sick. "No fever. What's wrong with you?" He demanded.

"That's our former captain!" Kise cried, suddenly clinging onto Kasamatsu without warning, much to his annoyance, and the amusement of the watching spectators. "Akashi-cchi is going to KILL me!" He wailed. The blonde still recalled what Akashi had told him after the practice match that Kaijo had with Seirin.

Kasamatsu on the other hand, was very confused.

"Huh?" He managed a croak.

**XXXXXX**

"Phew! We made it in time!" Aomine Daiki huffed as he entered the gymnasium only to see it packed with spectators, including players from other schools like Seiho who wanted to see how Shutoku would fare against their previous opponent. The two competing teams of Seirin and Shutoku were currently huddled in their own groups, having a last minute strategy meeting before the start of the match.

Behind him, his pink haired friend was huffing and puffing, sounding as if she is about to die. "Because Dai-chan is an idiot and refuses to use the map, and even manages to get us lost twice on the way here!" Momoi Satsuki scolded Aomine, looking very annoyed.

"I already said that I was sorry!" Aomine snapped, looking very embarrassed.

"Quiet," said an annoyed voice, and the two friends turned only to see a very annoyed Akashi Seijuro leaning against the wall with his arms crossed against his chest.

"Akashi?" Aomine looked confused. "Aren't you studying in Kyoto? What are you doing here?"

"I can't come and watch my cousin's match?" Akashi asked, annoyed. "Now be quiet. It's starting." He turned his attention towards the court, and a small smirk appeared on his face. _'It's unexpected for Seirin to win their way here though. I doubt even Shutoku was expecting it.' _He thought. _'But what do they expect if Seirin got a member of the Generation of Miracles too?' _Akashi huffed, not happy that so many schools underestimate his cousin just because she wasn't as well known as him and his other teammates. He then smirked. _'So it begins. The clash between two members of the Generation of Miracles.'_

**XXXXXX**

While the Shutoku team seems full of life and vigour, with their captain being even more so, Seirin, on the other hand, were exhausted and looks ready to collapse, even with the three hour rest that they had after their match with Seiho earlier in the day.

"I'm beat." Hyuuga complained, as much like Shutoku, the Seirin team were all huddled in a circle for a last minute strategy meeting before their game. "I've been feeling melancholy since this morning. We've got two games in a row, both against kings. And even while playing Seiho, all I could think about was playing another game after we beat them." The Seirin captain then smirked. "But there's only one game left. We don't have to worry about bothersome crap like the next game or reserving our energy. We can focus on the one thing we have to do! Give everything we have until we can't give anymore!"

"YEAH!"

The referee soon blew on the whistle, giving the signal for the starting members of the two teams to line up for the usual before game greeting, with Hyuuga noticing that their team's resident loudmouth and idiot, Kagami, was a lot quieter than usual.

Tamaki adjusted the wristband on her left hand before moving to take her position on the court. But before she could do so, Midorima blocked her way. "I didn't think you would actually make it this far," he said. "But it ends here. No matter how weak, small, or unknown, any team can fight as long as they work together. That is just an illusion." Tamaki grew annoyed at Midorima's words. Has he forgotten that Teiko was an unknown school as well before they actually came into the picture? "Come. I will show you just how foolish your choice was."

Tamaki studied Midorima for several moments. "No one knows what the right decision is to make in life, and that is not why I made this choice," she told him. "Also, if I may disagree with one thing, it's that Seirin is not weak. We will not lose."

Midorima glared.

* * *

Up in the bleachers, Kasamatsu was looking as the two teams gathered in their positions on the court for the before match greeting. "Will Seirin miraculously beat two kings in a row to win, or will Shutoku protect its rightful throne?" Kasamatsu mused, with Kise looking on with concern next to him.

* * *

"The day has finally come, huh?" Aomine mused. "The day when two members of the Generation of Miracles challenges each other."

"Will Midorin go easy on Tamaki-chan?" Satsuki wondered. "They _are _former teammates after all, and like all of you, he has a soft spot for Tamaki-chan." She reminded Aomine.

After all, the two have been in the library committee together when they were in Teiko. And out of the entire team, probably, it is only Midorima who shared the same reading interest as Tamaki. Satsuki had often seen the two together in the library near the exam period, comparing and going over notes. Though not that Aomine had been happy to see it at that time.

"I doubt it." Aomine scoffed, turning his attention back to the court. "They might be former teammates, but they are still basketball players. Midorima wouldn't go easy on anyone, not even if it's Tamaki. Besides, I'm sure that Tamaki wouldn't want him to do so as well."

**XXXXXX**

"Let the preliminary A block championship game between Seirin High School and Shutoku High School begin!"

The players of both teams then moved to take their respective positions on the court, and Takao glanced at his green haired friend. "Huh? Is Tamaki the only one that you need to talk to?" he asked, glancing over his shoulder. "What about Kagami?"

Said red haired player is barely standing ten paces away from them, and thus, could hear every word that they're saying.

"There is no need." Midorima looked scornfully at Kagami. "There is no reason for me to talk to someone who had played such a pathetic game." He scoffed, recalling that pathetic show that the redhead had put up against Seiho. Tamaki ended up having to cover him every chance that she got, and had to play twice as hard near the end of the fourth quarter. If not for her, Seirin would have lost against Seiho. "And Takao, stop using Tamaki's name that casually!" He told his friend, annoyed.

"Sorry." Takao grinned, not sounding all that sorry at all, with both teens ignoring a clearly pissed off Kagami. "Why are you so concerned anyway? You have a crush on her or something?" He teased his friend.

"Nothing like that." Midorima looked annoyed. He then glanced at Kagami. "And if you have anything to say to me, you can show it to me with your play." He challenged.

"Well then, Midorima-kun." Tamaki cut in before Kagami can say anything and add more fuel to the fire. The three boys turned their attention towards her. Even Hyuuga who was standing nearby so as to restrain Kagami if he has to, turned towards the small girl. Tamaki had a small smile on her lips. "Let's play. May the best team win."

Midorima smirked, ignoring the wide grin on Takao's face at Tamaki's words. "Of course," he said. "Do your worst, Tamaki."

**XXXXXX**

The game started off with Seirin in possession of the ball, with Kagami smacking the ball towards Izuki who was standing nearby. The point guard took the chance of a fast attack only to be taken aback at the fact that every single one of his teammates was guarded by a Shutoku player, even Tamaki.

'_They're quick!' _Izuki thought, frustrated. _'We wanted to run-and-gun for a quick shot, but…' _He met with Tamaki's eyes who nodded.

The teal haired girl then took advantage of the distraction of the Shutoku player who was marking her to slip past his defences, much to his shock. Izuki immediately took the chance to pass her the ball, and Tamaki quickly smacked it towards the basket that was caught immediately by Kagami who had leapt towards it, readying it for an alley-oop.

* * *

'_That's the same thing that they did against me.' _Kise thought in shock, remembering that cooperation move of Kagami and Tamaki that is fast becoming their signature move, especially since they had used it against Seiho as well.

* * *

Mere moments before Kagami could dunk the ball in, Midorima appeared from out of nowhere and smacked it out of Kagami's hands, much to the shock of the Seirin team but Tamaki.

'_As expected, it won't work against him, huh?' _Tamaki thought, glancing at her former teammate, with the ball currently in possession of Takao.

Just like how Midorima could read Kagami's moves, _she _could read _his_ as well. One doesn't have a cousin like Akashi Seijuro without picking up a few strategy tips along the way, and the fact that Tamaki had often helped Satsuki with the training and planning of the regulars when they were still in Teiko also attributes to it. And the fact that Tamaki and Midorima have been former teammates helps in her reading of his movements too.

In the bleachers, Seiho was stunned at the quick movements and the quick block that Midorima had performed. Then again, as long as you've seen Kagami play in just one match, you will know what move he is going to perform. Tamaki had never seen the redhead do anything but dunk during her entire time playing with him. It's like there is only the word 'dunk' in his dictionary!

"How disappointing." Midorima scoffed. "You think you can beat us with that?" He sneered at Kagami.

* * *

The timer on the clock now reads eight minutes and thirty-eight seconds, and Kasuga from Seiho sighed to himself.

"Oh man," he muttered. "They're stuck in equilibrium." He noted.

"A basketball match is forty minutes long." Iwamura stated. "The game is broken up into four ten minute quarters. Basically, the flow of the game changes at least three times. However, in other words…"

* * *

"Once your opponent takes control of the game, it's very difficult to take it back during the same quarter." Kasamatsu stated, a frown on his face as he studied the game currently going on between Seirin and Shutoku. "It's been almost two minutes without either team scoring. At this rate, whoever scores the first point will take the first quarter!"

* * *

Hyuuga ran to block Takao who currently had possession of the ball, but the Shutoku player was quick to pass the ball to a nearby teammate that is standing at the half court line who turned out to be Midorima, and Hyuuga's eyes widened in shock.

Everyone on Seirin knew that allowing Midorima to get the ball is considered suicidal, especially after what they have seen him do after Seirin's match with Shinkyo. And Tamaki had also mentioned that Midorima is the Shooting Guard of the Generation of Miracles, and a shooting specialist. But apart from that, the girl is pretty tight lipped about Midorima's abilities, and even about her past in Teiko. Seirin wasn't happy, but they respected Tamaki's wishes to not speak about her former teammates unless she absolutely has to.

Everyone on the Seirin team, along with more than half of the spectators in the bleachers stared on in shock as the ball made a high arc in the air, heading towards the basket. Tamaki frowned before turning and started making her way towards the direction of the basket where the ball was headed towards, passing a gobsmacked Kagami at the same time.

"Please start running." Tamaki told a confused Kagami even as she continued running towards her destination.

The ball went neatly into the basket, barely touching the net, thus earning the first point of the entire game, and the entire stadium erupted into cheers.

"It's a three pointer!"

"What an incredible shot!"

* * *

"The balance is broken!" Kise gaped, and Kasamatsu watched on with shock beside him. Even this is the first time that the Kaijo captain had seen Midorima perform a shot like that.

* * *

"Midorin is playing well today." Satsuki commented.

"Yeah." Aomine agreed. He then narrowed his eyes as he spotted Tamaki standing just under the basket that the ball had gone in. "But Tamaki won't just take this lying down." He commented. "She might not show it much, but in the end, she is still a member of the Generation of Miracles. She has the pride of one."

Not far from them, Akashi smirked.

* * *

Tamaki caught the ball as it came falling down towards the ground. She then turned around and saw Midorima walking slowly towards the other end of the court with that Takao guy beside him and narrowed her eyes. She knew that the Generation of Miracles have all changed, but did they change _this _much? Were they ever this arrogant before?

The Midorima Shintaro that she knew back in first year would _never _underestimate an opponent, no matter who they are. He had been the paranoid one back when they were just starting out. And it was actually thanks to him and his shooting skills back in freshman year that they have actually beaten the previous Teiko basketball team in order to start their own team.

And Midorima can't have forgotten just what she can do and had specialised in. Even _before_ her accident, she is an expert in circulating passes. The entire team knew that, even the other players from the first through third strings. _She _had been the regular usually assigned to oversee their training after all. And like what their coach had told her at one time, the other players prefer her over any of the others.

Murasakibara seems to almost have a few screws loose and is always seen munching on something or the other. He even munched on snacks _in class! _The teachers have all but given up on making him stop by the time that they're in second year. Aomine is too impatient with them. Midorima makes them scared with his horoscope and fate talks all the time, and not to mention that he looks ridiculous with his usual daily item of the day. Kise gets distracted easily. And Akashi is _too _scary. Ouch.

Tamaki then smiled to herself evilly. Well, if Midorima had forgotten just what she could do, then it's time to refresh his memory…

The teal haired girl took the ball in her right hand, resting it against the heel of her palm, shifting her right foot behind her left.

* * *

Near the top of the bleachers, Akashi and Aomine smirked.

They knew that look in her eyes and recognised that form immediately. That had been one of the starting forms that Akashi had seen her use for passing when they were kids, and one of the exercises that Tamaki had used to train her arm's strength. It had been particularly useful when she was trying to get used to using her right hand after that accident in second year.

Beside Aomine, Satsuki smiled to herself, glad to see that her best friend is doing well in Seirin. The pink haired girl had been worried about her for a while, as she had been so down and depressed a few months before middle school graduation, and Aomine's lazy attitude over basketball at that time was not helping any matters either.

Angriest that Satsuki had ever been with her childhood friend at that time.

* * *

Tamaki flung her right arm forward, and Midorima turned back over his shoulder at the same time when the teal haired girl had released the ball, sending it flying just past his ear, creating quite a breeze as it did so. The green haired teen's eyes widened in shock as the ball flew past him like a bullet, only to be caught by Kagami who was directly beneath the basket, and he immediately dunked it in, gaining two points for Seirin.

* * *

"They got them back in a second!"

Seiho was in shock, along with nearly every basketball player currently among the spectators, which includes Kise and Kasamatsu. Kise looked as if he had just seen a ghost, and Kasamatsu looked as if he had just swallowed a lemon. An _extremely _sour lemon. Even the entire Seirin team and Shutoku were in shock, staring at Tamaki like she's some alien.

"What was that?" Koganei finally managed to find his voice.

"That cut straight from one side of the court to the other." Tsuchida spluttered from beside the cat like teen on the bench. Riko still couldn't manage to find it in herself to speak, she was still spluttering at Tamaki, her eyes wide with both surprise and shock.

* * *

Midorima was not amused. _'Damn it, I forgot that she still had that!' _he thought to himself, annoyed. "Tamaki…"

Tamaki was fixing him with a steely look – one that she usually reserved only for the court. Like Midorima, the rest of the Generation of Miracles and Satsuki, she is a professional, and keeps her personal life and feelings separate whilst on the court. This is a trait that all the members of the Generation of Miracles had shared.

"I'm sorry," said Tamaki. "But it would be problematic if I let you take the first quarter so easily." She told Midorima. The teal haired girl then narrowed her eyes. "Besides, have you forgotten what I specialises in, Midorima-kun? It would be a problem if you had forgotten just what I _can _do."

Midorima narrowed his eyes. He _had _nearly forgotten about it. Unlike him and his former Teiko teammates, Tamaki is no frontal attack type of player, though she had some offensive skills in her arsenal when she was still using her original play style. She is more of a support type of player. But her skills can actually give her opponent some problems if they aren't careful.

Takao was not amused as well. "She has a pass like that too?"

**XXXXXX**

Seiho looked as if they have just seen a ghost, as they were all shocked into silence. For a school known as one of the three kings of Tokyo, even this is the first time that they have seen something like this. Even Tsugawa doubted that he could have blocked that, as much as how he had prided himself on his defense technique. Once again, the bald player reminded himself just _why _that girl was the last person whom he even wanted to face on the court.

"Hey. Hey. What was that, Ichiro's laser beam?" Kasuga gaped, that long pass reminding him awfully of the move of that famous Japanese baseball player that he had seen on television once. "This is basketball!"

**XXXXXX**

"Tamaki-chan is not letting up, is she?" Satsuki asked, amused, as she watched Midorima hesitating for a split second before passing the ball to his teammate. "With that pass, she has effectively sealed Midorin. Who would have thought that a practice technique that she had used in freshman year would work this well against Midorin?"

Aomine smirked.

**XXXXXX**

"Midorimacchi's been shut down?" Kise asked, confused, not understanding just what Kasamatsu had meant.

Kasamatsu nodded. "Yeah. With that girl's long distance pass," he answered. "Midorima's team returns to defense during the long hang time of his shots, and that's good for stopping run-and-gun plays." _'Which Seirin specialises in.' _"However, not everyone goes back. Just in case he misses, they leave someone to rebound the ball. That hang time bites them in the ass. If Midorima can go back, Kagami can also run back." He pointed this out. "They can counter Midorima with a super fast break by running past him. That's why Midorima can't shoot." Kasamatsu glanced at Tamaki. "But the timing and decision to use that pass, as well as the confidence to get it in one shot… It's reaffirming."

Kise looked curiously at his captain. Kasamatsu's voice had something that almost sounded like…awe and respect in it, and he was looking at Tamaki with a look of respect.

"That girl… I can see how she played at Teiko with you." Kasamatsu stated, glancing at Kise before turning his attention back to the court. "She's a veteran."

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki was _very _annoyed. _Very, _and only the people that knew her best, which is only her former teammates, can tell by the slight twitch of her eyebrow.

The teal haired girl has to admit, Shutoku's coach is one sharp bastard. She can see why the guy is the coach of one of Tokyo's best basketball teams. But who knows that Midorima's self proclaimed best friend had the same ability as Izuki? Apparently, Takao Kazunari had the 'Hawk Eye' ability, a much better ability than Izuki's 'Eagle Eye' that had helped Seirin during their match against Seiho earlier.

Hence, to prevent her from sealing off Midorima's play, the coach had ordered Takao to start marking her. That Hawk Eye ability of his prevents her from using her misdirection play. And the girl is starting to get very annoyed with this, but also excited at the same time. It isn't often that someone can seal her movements like this.

Hence, it is a relief to Tamaki when Riko had called for time out for Seirin, with four minutes to go before the end of the first quarter, with the game count at 8-11, with Shutoku currently in the lead.

Over by the Shutoku bench, Takao grinned triumphantly as he saw the downed looks on the faces of the Seirin players. That Tamaki girl however… He twitched with annoyance when he saw that she doesn't seem to be worried in the least. Can't that girl show a little more emotion on her face?

"Looks like Seirin's in trouble." Takao commented, quenching his thirst from his bottle.

Midorima sighed. Just how much is his teammate underestimating Tamaki? While she's a girl, Midorima respected her skills. She had been one of the reasons why Teiko had gone from a no-name school to being one of the most feared teams in the middle school basketball circuit in just a mere two years. Thus why Midorima isn't happy at her choice of high school when she had finally told them just _where _she's going after middle school graduation.

"Do not let your guard down." The green haired teen warned. "Tamaki will not go down this easily."

"It'll be fine," said Takao uncaringly. "Once you render her misdirection useless, she's just small fry, right?"

Midorima's eye twitched with annoyance at this insult to Tamaki. "Takao, don't make me hit you," he warned, and Takao looked at Midorima nervously.

He knew the shooter well enough by now to know that the green haired teen never jokes with things like this. And he had also seen with his own eyes just how over protective that Midorima had been over the teal haired girl. Hell, he almost beat up that bald player from Seiho earlier that morning just because said player was hitting on Tamaki!

"Tamaki might look like that, but she was still in Teiko with me." Midorima told Takao. "I respect her skills. Just like everyone in the basketball team. Her physical strength isn't on par with us guys, yet she is actually good enough to play with us. And despite an…accident that had nearly caused her to stop playing basketball entirely, she didn't give up. In fact, she simply developed an entire new style just to continue playing. And like all of us at Teiko, she wore the same uniform as us, and helped lead the team to three consecutive victories at the Nationals. Her abilities are nothing like ours. It belongs in a different world. That is why I can't accept it." He gritted his teeth. "I can't accept that someone whom I respected has chosen to bury herself with a team that cannot fully utilise her abilities."

**XXXXXX**

Meanwhile, over with the Seirin bench, Tamaki was annoyed for a different reason from earlier. She is currently practically glaring daggers at her red haired partner who is messing up her hair. Said partner is definitely living up to his nickname of _Bakagami _by _not _noticing her glare.

"You're not going to keep letting them get you, are you?" Kagami asked.

Tamaki pushed his hand off her head before straightening her locks. "Well, I suppose I don't really like it," she mumbled. _'And the fact that they think that they can stop me with this makes me angry!' _She ranted inwardly, glaring at the smirking Takao over at the Shutoku's bench. If that guy just _grins _at her like that once more…

Kagami grinned. "That's what I like to hear!" he said. "Coach!" He got Riko's attention immediately, with the coach currently wondering if she should substitute Tamaki or not. "Let us keep going like this please."

"Like this?" Riko echoed, looking at the two freshmen players with a weird look. "You know your misdirection won't work against Takao-kun, right?" She asked Tamaki. "Are you going to be okay?"

"No," said Tamaki calmly. "That's why I'm thinking…" She murmured. "Time… I just need a little more time." Riko and the rest of the team, Kagami included, were taken aback by the fire burning in Tamaki's normally expressionless blue eyes as she glanced over at the Shutoku bench. "I'll figure him out."

The buzzer that signals the end of the time out went off.

"Time out over!"

**XXXXXX**

Akashi smirked. _'Looks like Tama is putting her tactical mind to use once more,' _he thought.

Tamaki didn't just become the vice-captain of the Generation of Miracles for her skill in handling and instructing people alone, with Kise being a prime example. One of the main reasons is that she had a quick tactical mind, sharp enough to match her cousin's. Few people just don't realise that they're playing into Tamaki's hands until it's too late. Unlike Akashi however, Tamaki only uses this side of hers on the basketball court, and even then, she never showed it much ever since the start of their third year.

Once Tamaki starts using it however, beware! Whoever is her opponent had better watch out. She has a mind sharp enough to rival that of Akashi and Satsuki.

**XXXXXX**

Midorima held Takao back by the shoulder before he can go and mark Tamaki. "Don't take your eyes off of Tamaki, not even for a moment," he told his teammate. He didn't like that look in Tamaki's eyes. The last time when he had seen that steely cold expression had been back in their second year of Teiko, and the opposing team had then lost against them worse than any team in history.

"Huh?" Takao was confused.

Midorima shook his head. "You'll see why later," he said mysteriously as he went to take his position on the court.

Takao was confused, but shrugged it off, as he went to mark Tamaki. The teal haired girl seemed to be studying him carefully…almost like she's waiting for something.

"Hey, did you come up with a plan?" Takao taunted her with a grin.

"Even if I did, I wouldn't be telling you." Tamaki stated bluntly, annoyed.

"What is that?"

**XXXXXX**

Over with Hyuuga, the bipolar captain was exhausted, and it could be seen in his play, along with several of his teammates, including Kagami and Tamaki. Though it wasn't that obvious on Tamaki, as like always, the teal haired girl is a master at masking her emotions. It makes Hyuuga wonder for a moment just what had happened to her in the past to make her like this.

Having an expressionless mask like that… It just isn't normal.

'_Two games in one day is just brutal. I'm already exhausted.' _Hyuuga thought, annoyed, trying to get past the guard of Miyaji Kiyoshi, the Shutoku player that is currently marking him. _'And we're up against the king, Shutoku. If we let them get too far ahead, catching up will be difficult.'_

* * *

The Seirin members on the bench watched nervously as Shutoku scored another goal, thus making the score 8-13 with Shutoku in the lead, with three minutes to go before the end of the first quarter.

"A-Aren't they a little short of breath?" Furihata asked nervously.

"It's still only the first quarter!" Kawahara panicked.

"It'll be okay." Riko said calmly. "This game definitely depends on Tamaki-chan and Kagami-kun, who we had on reserve. However, that's not all." She looked at the palm of her right hand that seemed to have something that suspiciously seems like a broken piece of some action figure.

"What is that?" Furihata asked curiously.

"Something that I broke earlier." Riko said with a secret smile. "After we lost last year, Hyuuga-kun approached me, asking me how to make shots even while under pressure. To give him some incentive to score even whilst under pressure, I told him a method." She looked almost guilty at this point of time. "I told him that with every shot that he missed during practice, I'd destroy one of his prized Sengoku warrior figures. His personality suffered a little though." She added whilst watching Hyuuga shooting whilst in clutch mode. "But without a doubt, Hyuuga-kun will always make important shots."

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki narrowed her eyes when the entire court was shocked into silence at Midorima's latest trick – a three pointer shot from the back of the court. _'When did he learn to shoot from there?' _she wondered, glancing at the smirking face of her old teammate. She narrowed her eyes. _'Looks like I have to stop playing around as well.'_

She flexed the fingers of her right hand.

**XXXXXX**

"Looks like Tamaki is getting angry." Aomine commented. "Even there is a limit to how much one can push her. She can take much more than the rest of us, but even there is a limit to how much she can take."

"I wonder if she will use 'that'," said Satsuki with a secret smile. "It'll be a sight to see. After all, it's been almost two years since I've seen her use Mirage."

**XXXXXX**

"You got another thing coming if you think you can shut me down with this." Tamaki told Takao, narrowing her eyes as the teen went to block her again. "My abilities…don't just end here."

Takao was confused. "Huh?" His eyes then widened, as Tamaki was gone from his sight in a moment. _'What the-? It's not misdirection?'_

Over by his side, Midorima gritted his teeth, seeing a blur move down the court quickly, heading towards Otsubo who currently had possession of the ball. "Takao!" he shouted to his teammate.

"I'm on it!" Takao called back, moving in between Otsubo and Miyaji whom the captain is about to pass the ball to. Unfortunately, he collided with someone unseen just then, and found himself taking a face plant to the ground. He was saved from kissing Mother Earth when he felt himself falling atop a warm and petite body.

The referee blew his whistle.

Takao felt his face burning as he suddenly found his face barely inches away from the startled face of one Kuroko Tamaki, and found his blush deepening when he realised that one of his hands was accidentally groping at her front, accidentally feeling a certain _lump._

A deathly silence filled the court, with an ominous aura suddenly leaking from Midorima who suddenly seemed to have grown in height.

**XXXXXX**

Aomine suddenly looked _pissed _as he glared at the guy _lying atop _of Tamaki. He cracked his knuckles menacingly. "Sorry, Midorima. But I might have to deprive you of your teammate," he muttered.

Beside him, Satsuki paled. "Uh oh," she muttered. "Akashi-kun is going to kill him." _'And not to mention what Dai-chan is going to do to him.' _She thought wryly, glancing at her pissed off childhood friend.

The pink haired girl still remembered the time during their second year when a group of high school students have started harassing the both of them (Tamaki and Satsuki), and one of those high school students had 'accidentally' _touched _Tamaki. Let's just say that the poor guy was treated to a first hand lesson in learning how to fly.

Near them, Akashi's eye was twitching dangerously. "I might have some use for my new scissors after all," he muttered darkly.

**XXXXXX**

Shutoku blinked as one as Takao was suddenly sent flying off the lone Seirin female player, with the hand of said player outstretched, her palm turned upwards. The girl even had a heavy blush upon her cheeks, and she looked _pissed._

"W-Where do you think you're _touching, _you pervert?" she cried out.

Takao cradled his nose that he is _sure _had been broken by that _hit. _"P-Pervert?" he babbled.

**XXXXXX**

"Well…" Kasamatsu sweat dropped as the first quarter ended at that moment, and Shutoku immediately hurried to their bench to tend to their teammate's _broken nose,_ with the score currently at 13-19, with Shutoku currently in the lead. "I've never seen something of this sort happening on the court before."

Midorima's revelation that his shooting range is the full court is still fresh in everyone's minds, but most probably, there are quite a few individuals right now plotting the death of one Takao Kazunari, especially with what had happened earlier.

Kise chuckled nervously. "I'm more worried for his life at this point of time, honestly," he said weakly. _'Midorimacchi is going to murder him. And that is if Akashi-cchi and Aominecchi doesn't reach him first.'_

The blonde then turned his eyes towards the heavens and did something that he never thought he'd ever do. He prayed for Takao Kazunari's safety.

**XXXXXX**

"Wah! That chick sure had some strength!" Miyaji chuckled nervously as they watched their coach treat the freshman's injured nose. Thankfully, it _isn't _really broken. The teal haired girl had just hit him hard enough to cause a nosebleed, along with leaving behind a nice imprint of a handprint on his face.

_Glint!_

Takao shivered in fear even as his coach applied a bandage on his nose, ignoring the mayhem that is his basketball team, even as Midorima glared down at him, adjusting his glasses. "Be thankful that she broke your nose, or I'll be breaking something of yours, Takao," he said darkly, and Takao gulped. "Besides, I'm not the one that you should be worried about."

"Huh?"

Midorima turned Takao's head towards the direction of Seirin's bench, with the rest of his team turning as well. For a moment, they could swear that imaginary flames had appeared in the background where Kagami was sitting at, and he is _glaring _at Takao.

"Uh…"

Kimura Shinsuke patted on his freshman's arm sympathetically. "Good luck, Takao," he said. "Nothing is more terrifying than a team protecting their own."

"I wonder if I should be pitying you or helping you right now," said Midorima with a sigh. "You've just pissed off Tamaki. I've only seen her truly get angry one time. Just one time. And I never want to see it again. You'll soon see why she's the Mirage player, and _why _she's the vice-captain of the Generation of Miracles."

**XXXXXX**

"You got a plan?" Riko asked carefully.

Tamaki was clearly _not _happy, and kept glaring over at the Shutoku bench, with it being the most emotion that the team had seen from her since she'd joined them. The teal haired girl nodded. "I have to use a few tricks of mine that I'd learned during my time in Teiko," she admitted. "I wasn't expecting to have to bring it out this soon though."

"But Midorima's shot…" Riko trailed off. "Has he always been able to do that?"

"No," said Tamaki, trying to put what had happened earlier to the back of her mind. "As far as I know, Midorima-kun could only shoot as far as the half line. That's the first time that I've seen him shoot from there."

"I've seen videos of NBA players make that shot during practice, but trying that in an actual game is ridiculous." Izuki whined.

"The Generation of Miracles is ridiculous." Hyuuga sighed. _'How are we supposed to stop that?'_

"And Takao-kun is another problem…" Riko trailed off uneasily as an ominous aura seemed to almost surround Tamaki. Uh oh. The teal haired girl is definitely not happy with being molested in full view of everyone earlier.

"I'll handle him." Tamaki managed through gritted teeth.

"Huh?"

"Shutoku has to learn that they're not the only one who had a member of the Generation of Miracles on their side," said Tamaki, her eye twitching furiously. "And Midorima-kun seems to have forgotten just what I can do as well. To stop him, all that we have to do is to make sure that he doesn't get the ball." She said simply.

"It's easier said than done, Tamaki!" Kagami groaned.

Tamaki's eye twitched. "I'll show them. I'll show them just why I'm the vice-captain of the Generation of Miracles. I don't really care much for this title in the first place. But even there is a limit to how much they can make a fool out of me!"

**XXXXXX**

Takao was wondering if he should run for his life as he met Tamaki's death glare straight on. "Is this your idea of 'stopping my play'?" she asked coldly, flexing the fingers on her right hand like she wanted to give Takao a matching handprint on his other cheek.

The other Shutoku players gave him sympathetic looks. And within the bleachers, despite themselves, Satsuki and Kise can't help but feel sorry for the poor guy. They knew what Tamaki's temper is like. Because of how she is, she rarely loses her cool _or_ her temper. In fact, the Generation of Miracles could only remember just one time when she had gotten awfully pissed off, and that is back in second year. Let's just say that the opposing team had gotten themselves slaughtered.

No one wants to stand in Tamaki's path when she gets pissed. Not even Akashi.

Back on the court, Takao wondered for a moment if it hadn't suddenly started snowing. "S-Sorry," he said nervously. "I didn't mean to."

"I ought to congratulate you. I hadn't been this pissed off for a long time now." Tamaki said in a low tone, ignoring the fact that Midorima had been making three pointer shots continuously, thus making their point gap even wider. There is no mistaking that fury in Tamaki's eyes that makes Takao want to step back from her. "Besides, no matter what you do, you can't stop me."

Izuki passed Tamaki the ball just then, and she caught it simply. "Seirin…" The teal haired girl stated, "will win."

And she vanished.

"_What?"_

Midorima paled instantly when he saw what Tamaki had used. That is his one weakness, along with nearly everyone on his former team. That is what makes Tamaki's original play style so feared in the first place that she got the nickname as the phantom player. After all, you can't stop someone whom you can't see, right?

Kagami grinned as he ran for the basket, trusting his partner's abilities. Almost immediately, he felt the ball being thrust into his hands, almost failing to catch it because of the force behind it, and he jumped to make a quick dunk.

The Shutoku team was shocked. They've never seen something like this being performed in any of Seirin's matches from the videos that they've watched. Tamaki looked furious, nearly glaring at Takao and Midorima, who both suddenly felt very small.

"I hope that you don't think that misdirection and passing is all that I'm capable of," she said. "I must congratulate you, though, for forcing me to bring this out this early in the game."

"Mirage…" Midorima breathed. _'So that move just now during her match with Seiho isn't just a fluke. When did she start learning to use it with her right hand?' _

"Midorima-kun, it is true that you might be a member of the Generation of Miracles," said Tamaki, looking at her old teammate. "But you seemed to have forgotten that I am one too, as well as what I specialised in when we're in Teiko." She narrowed her eyes. "I don't really care much for this title in the first place, but even there is a limit to how much you can make a fool out of me! You can't stop me." She hissed. "My Mirage skill… Only one person in the world can break it, and you are not him."

* * *

_A/N: Uh oh. Tamaki is angry. **Real **angry. And as mentioned before, the Shutoku versus Seirin match **will **be different from canon. I hope I didn't make her too OOC for this chapter. But come on, any girl will be pissed off if they got groped in full view of hundreds of people._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	10. We Will Win!

_Tamaki pissed off with Takao: _Poor Takao definitely. Well, relax, for Takao lovers, he won't be dying at the end of the match. And yeah, it definitely sounds like Takao is developing some sort of crush on Tamaki. I'm currently playing around with the idea of creating a new story that contains of a bunch of one-shots that takes place in the _Princess of Miracles_ universe – mostly talking about the people that had contact with Tamaki (eg. Tsugawa, and what had happened during middle school between them).

_Haizaki's appearance:_ I wasn't really planning on including him, as I've already started planning the story even before his appearance in the manga. But well, his personality fits the setup that I have for Tamaki and the Generation of Miracles' confrontation with Hanamiya. Like mentioned in the previous chapter, Akashi suspected that Tamaki's accident during the Winter Cup championship league with Hanamiya's school just _might _be masterminded by Haizaki. With how both Haizaki and Hanamiya are, they probably would be the best of friends if they ever met! I imagine that Kise probably wouldn't be too pleased to hear that though, along with the other members of the GoM, especially Aomine and Akashi.

_Aunt Yuki:_ Funny that you should mention this, _Dreams of the future. _I _was _going to have the Seirin team be a regular of her restaurant. And as Akashi and Tamaki are cousins, and from Aunt Yuki's brief appearance in chapter 4, she mentioned that the GoM often came to her restaurant for their celebration parties after each victory during middle school. Hence, don't be too surprised if you see other members of the GoM appearing there occasionally.

_Akashi's appearance:_ Sorry folks, he won't be showing himself to the Seirin team so soon. Earliest that he'll be showing himself is just before Seirin's match with Kirisaki Daichi. With Akashi's personality, he likes playing mind games, if his time with the GoM is of any indication. And the Seirin team had already heard of this 'Sei' from Tamaki (remember the time when Kise first came to Seirin?), and Kagami had heard of this 'Sei' when eavesdropping on Kise and Tamaki. But no one on Seirin knew that the captain of the GoM is Tamaki's cousin though. Kagami wasn't called _Bakagami _for no reason either.

_Takao and Tamaki pairing: _Sorry, no can do. I said that the pairing is with Aomine, and I mean it. I might make a one-shot Takao and Tamaki pairing one of these days though, with it being in the _Princess of Miracles _universe.

_Kise and Akashi: _Don't worry, Kise is not going to die either. Like what Kise had mentioned before when he first went to Seirin, he said that the other members of the GoM tends to pick on him a lot. He wasn't kidding, you know? He _is _the newest member, and not to mention the weakest. Even Tamaki, before she had lost her usage of her left hand, is stronger than him, though she prefers taking a back seat during matches, and acts more as the team's support, rather than taking the spotlight.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Ten: We Will Win!**

"_Getting the ball in from up close is easy. Getting it in from far away has true value." - Midorima Shintaro_

**XXXXXX**

"Time out for Shutoku!"

Kasamatsu Yukio let out a low whistle as the Shutoku coach called for a time out barely two minutes into the second quarter. "Damn, I've never seen Shutoku pushed this far before." The Kaijo captain commented. Shutoku High had been named as one of the three kings of Tokyo for a reason after all, and they've been breezing through all their matches during the Inter High that year. "She's really a regular of the ultimate team in middle school basketball." Kasamatsu added, glancing at the Seirin bench where Tamaki was quenching her thirst, along with the rest of her teammates.

Kise smiled, looking at his former personal instructor with pride and adoration in his eyes.

Tamaki might not look like much at first, but she is one fearsome player if you are her enemy. Akashi, Midorima and Tamaki made up the brains of Teiko's team back when he was still in middle school. Momoi gathers the information on their rival schools, and Akashi, Midorima and Tamaki thinks of the strategies to be used against them. Midorima isn't that bad with strategy, but it is Akashi and Tamaki who are experts at thinking up tactical plays.

Even Kise's current play style had been taught to him by Tamaki when she was first assigned to him as his personal instructor back in second year. The teal haired girl merely makes her own observations just by watching his regular play, and knew that he is an expert in copying people's moves, and merely taught him a style that he is most comfortable with.

"Unlike me and the others, Tamacchi doesn't like taking the spotlight during matches," said Kise, resting his chin on his right hand. _'Well, part of the reason is because the opposing team's players tends to hit on her, particularly the team's ace.' _Kise thought, wincing a little at the mere memory of it. "She prefers taking the back seat and being the team's support instead."

A small smile appeared on his face as the blonde recalls the conversation that he had with his instructor once after a practice game that the both of them had whilst helping the second string players during their time in Teiko. That had been before Kise himself had been named as a first string regular.

"_I think that I understand a bit more of what you said, Tamacchi," said Kise thoughtfully as the two basketball players walked back to Teiko Middle School together. The practice match had been held at their opposing team's school, and it was within walking distance to Teiko. "But I still don't really understand everything." He complained._

_Tamaki glanced at Kise out of the corner of her eye even as the other players of the second string trailed slowly behind them, some of them giving Kise the evil eye that the blonde either didn't notice, or ignored entirely. "Well, I wasn't really expecting for you to understand everything either," she said. "But you'll soon understand more of what I'd said." She said mysteriously._

_Kise looked confused as he looked down at the shorter and smaller girl walking next to him, typing out a message on her red cellphone, apparently informing the basketball captain about the results of the match. Tamaki had been the only first string regular present at this match after all. She is the one in charge._

"_I still don't get it." Kise complained. "Sacrificing oneself for a game? I know you're amazing, Tamacchi. But is it fun to play like that?"_

_The blonde privately felt that the teal haired girl doesn't really sees it as a sacrifice at all. He had seen the first string regulars at one of their matches once. Even though Tamaki had some good offensive skills in her arsenal like nearly every regular of the first string, she prefers taking a back seat and only attacked offensively if she has to._

"_It's not," said Tamaki, turning to look at Kise with a small smile. "It's not fun to play like that at times. But losing is even less fun. Any player can be in the spotlight, particularly the team's ace."_

"_Aominecchi?" Kise wondered._

"_Well, he too." Tamaki said with a small amused smile. "But the one that usually helps lead the team to victory is the team's support. They might not be in the spotlight, but their role is just as important, if not more. There is no such thing as a useless player in the team, Kise-kun."_

'_That's what Tamacchi said back then.' _Kise thought, glancing over at the teal haired girl. _'But it's only when we got to high school, and I've actually seen her play as a spectator on the sidelines, or even as a player on the opposing team when I truly understood what she had meant. The team's support is the one that holds the entire team together, and helps to execute their play. It is also the support who helps to bring out the full potential and strength of the team even further.' _The blonde mused, remembering his practice match with Seirin High School. _'If Midorimacchi underestimates Seirin because of this, then he's going to be in for a rough time.'_

**XXXXXX**

"If truth be told, it isn't easy dealing with that No. 11." Miyaji Kiyoshi remarked, trying to catch back his breath as he quenched his thirst from his water tumbler. "Her play is entirely different from the first half of the first quarter!"

"How can someone even move that fast?" Kimura Shinsuke demanded on Miyaji's other side. "Is it even humanely possible? The Generation of Miracles is ridiculous!" He glanced at the silent Midorima who seems to be deep in thought.

Like with most of his team, Kimura hadn't believed the green haired freshman when he had warned them to be careful of the teal haired girl rather than that scary looking red haired freshman on the Seirin team. After all, what can some weak looking girl do to them? Well, he is seeing why now.

Apparently, Takao had pissed off the No. 11 player on the Seirin team even worse than anticipated. The teal haired girl had blocked or guarded him like a demon that had came straight from Hell. Several times during the first half of the second quarter, she had left Shutoku's point guard looking like a fool as he stood on the court, as she slipped in and out of his defenses easily, stealing the ball from whoever is currently in possession of it, passing it to her teammates who managed to score easily.

The score is currently at 23-15, with Seirin currently in the lead.

That speed technique or whatever it is isn't like misdirection at all. Even Takao couldn't see someone who is moving at high speeds on the court with his Hawk Eye technique, especially since she isn't simply staying in one place at all, and she is inhumanely fast! Before one even realises it, she had already made off with the ball before a Shutoku player can pass it to Midorima, immediately passing the ball to one of her teammates. The only problem here is that because No. 11 is moving and acting so fast, even her own teammates won't even realise what is going on. Hence, even they must pay special close attention to the ball and to their 'invisible' teammate at all times.

"Hey Midorima." Otsubo Taisuke turned to his freshman ace, his eye twitching dangerously. The Shutoku captain's manly pride had taken quite a blow at being outwitted, outmatched and outplayed by a girl that is younger and smaller than he is. Some of his players had already ended up looking like fools several times (Takao and Miyaji) during the first half of the second quarter, and even before it, for standing there on the court, thinking that they still had the ball when it had already long been stolen by the opposing team. "You knew about this, didn't you? Why didn't you say anything about it?"

It's not just Otsubo that had found this aspect about the green haired teen annoying when Midorima had first joined their team.

The green haired superstitious teen had been unusually tight lipped about the abilities and skills of his former teammates, that no amount of threatening could make him spill. He will only speak about their skills and abilities if he absolutely _has _to. And the teal haired girl on the Seirin team apparently is of the same mindset as well, seeing as how the rest of the Seirin team had looked surprised and shocked when they have seen him shoot from half court earlier, and she is the only one who isn't shocked.

Midorima adjusted his glasses before replying. "It is true that I _am _awareof this skill of hers, but Tamaki hasn't used it for nearly two years," he said, much to Shutoku's surprise. "It might sound crazy to you now, but when I'd seen her use her Mirage skill when we were back in Teiko, it is _much _stronger. What she is using now is not even fifty percent of her Mirage skill. It is fifty percent at half power at least. This makes it at twenty five percent of her full power." He told his team, much to their shock.

"You have to be joking. This…Mirage skill or whatever it is, can be even _worse _than what we are currently facing?" Miyaji groaned. "How are we supposed to stop someone that we can't even see?" He demanded.

"And she's not letting me move at all." Takao admitted, huffing and puffing and trying to get his breath back. Out of his entire team, he is the one that is the most exhausted, especially since Tamaki is making him run about the court like a chicken with its head cut off. Even his Hawk Eye is of no use against her Mirage skill. Clearly, the girl isn't happy with him for molesting her in full view in front of hundreds of people. And it's not like the black haired teen _wanted_ to touch her. Though he has to admit that she has a nice set of knockers on her… "Before I even realises what is going on, she had already slipped out of my sight, and off with the ball."

Their coach, Nakatani Masaaki 'hmmed' and looked at Midorima. "Midorima, can she use any offensive skills with this style?" he asked solemnly.

From what he saw of the style whilst on the bench, it seems to the coach like the style is originally created to score baskets and three pointers before anyone even realises what is going on. But so far, that girl had been doing nothing but just circulating passes and creating more opportunities than before for her team to score. Is there a reason why she isn't scoring? Or… Nakatani narrowed his eyes as he glanced over at the Seirin bench. She _can't?_

Midorima didn't answer for a long time, his usual poker face on, as he wondered how to answer his coach without outright lying. The Generation of Miracles might all be in different schools now, bound to face each other on opposite sides of the court one day, but it is still a fact that they have all been in the same team at one time – the ultimate team in middle school basketball, together at Teiko Middle School.

But still, the Generation of Miracles have all swore to protect Tamaki after the incident during second year. They might be in different teams now, and there is nothing stopping them from divulging each other's weaknesses. But the fact is that there is not one single one of them who would do that, unless they absolutely have to. And like all his teammates, Midorima would _never _tell anyone about Tamaki's left wrist, even under pain of death, not even if it actually costs his team their match.

Protecting Tamaki doesn't just extend to her protection physically. It means protecting her _emotionally _as well. Hence why Akashi was pissed with Aomine for some time during third year when he had upset Tamaki so much that she had actually disappeared after the finals of their championship game. The entire team wasn't happy with Tamaki's choice of high school when she had finally relented and told them just _where_ she's going at their middle school graduation ceremony. But they have respected her wishes, just like how she had respected their decision to split up, and they have then all agreed to do everything that they could to defeat each other should they ever face each other on the courts one day.

It might have been Akashi who had been the one to suggest splitting up after middle school, to go to different high schools instead of going to the same school and playing in the same team like what they have naively wanted during their freshman year. But the Generation of Miracles must be deaf and dumb to _not _hear the rumours going around during their third year.

Nearly every single high school in Japan that had a prominent basketball team is fighting tooth and nail to get the ultimate team into their school just so that they can dominate the high school basketball circuit. Hence why their captain had made the suggestion for them to split up. On one hand, it allows them to challenge each other and see how far they have come since middle school. And on the other hand, it doesn't allow any school to dominate the high school basketball circuit like how Teiko did during their middle school days.

"It is true that Mirage is originally created by Tamaki to enable her to shoot and score even before the opposing team even realises what is going on," said Midorima at last, closing his eyes briefly. "But she won't…shoot." No one noticed the pause in between his words. "Furthermore, like her misdirection, Mirage isn't a skill that she can use for forty minutes." He added, trying to take the minds of his team off of the fact whether Tamaki can shoot or not. "Can you leave her to me?" He asked his team, much to their surprise.

"Huh?" Miyaji looked at Midorima oddly. "If even _Takao _can't see or stop her, what makes you think that you—"

"Tamaki is now using Mirage to stop me from getting the ball." Midorima cut in. "That's why… Give me the ball during the entire second quarter."

Otsubo twitched, a muscle in his cheek twitching furiously as he resisted the urge to smack the green haired teen over the head. The rest of his team stared at Midorima oddly, almost as if they couldn't believe what is coming out of the green haired teen's mouth. Generation of Miracles or not, this is taking it too far!

"Coach, can I hit him?" Miyaji asked with a strained smile, pointing at Midorima, trying to resist the urge to just throttle the green haired shooter.

"Miyaji, why don't you throw a pineapple at him?" Kimura suggested, trying to control the urge to strangle the arrogant freshman himself. "My family runs a produce store."

Takao burst out into hysterical laughter, causing several of his teammates to wonder if the black haired teen hasn't suddenly lost his mind. "Just how self-centered are you?" He asked via his laughter, slapping Midorima on the back, much to the green haired teen's annoyance.

Nakatani ignored the comments of his other players as he focused on Midorima. As they have both been in the same team at one point, just perhaps, Midorima could…

"Can you stop her?" he asked. "You can't see her too, right?"

"I can try," said Midorima after a short pause. _'Sorry, Tamaki. But this is what we've all agreed on during Graduation Day.' _He thought, glancing at the teal haired girl over on the opposite bench. _'We agreed to give our all to defeat each other should we ever encounter each other on the courts. Just like how you wanted Seirin to win, no matter what, I want Shutoku to win as well. I won't lose, Hime-chan.' _He flexed the fingers on his left hand. "No matter who it is, I will shut them down."

The coach sighed. "Very well. Let's call that three of your selfish actions for the day and do it," said Nakatani, much to the surprise of the rest of his team, especially the captain.

When Shutoku had first scouted Midorima for their basketball team, like with most of the members of the Generation of Miracles, the green haired teen had made a few conditions that Shutoku must accept and abide by before he had agreed. The only members of the Generation of Miracles who probably didn't do such a thing are probably only Kise Ryota of Kaijo and Kuroko Tamaki of Seirin. They are probably the only 'normal' ones of the Generation of Miracles, with the other players having quite a few eccentrics.

Back in Teiko, the school doesn't really care about it as long as they produce results in both their basketball and their schoolwork. Hence why Midorima was allowed to bring his lucky item everywhere, why Murasakibara was allowed to eat his snacks even during class, and why Akashi was allowed to carry his scissors in school despite the school rules of no carrying potentially dangerous things.

"Seriously, Coach?" Miyaji spluttered, surprised that their coach had even agreed to it.

Meanwhile, Otsubo doesn't look happy, and looked almost ready to snap. Part of the reason has to do with the fact that his 'manly pride' is getting trampled on by the teal haired girl on the opposing team. The other part of the reason has to do with Midorima and his ridiculous demands at times.

"You know I'm at my limit, don't you?" Otsubo demanded, his left eye twitching dangerously, and a dark aura could almost be seen surrounding him. "If that's what the coach says, I have no choice. Do what you want during the first half. But if we lose…" He let his words trail off menacingly, and Midorima gulped nervously.

"Okay. Takao, stop marking No. 11." Nakatani told the point guard who nodded. It's not like he _can _mark her anyway, even if he wants to. "Focus on getting the ball first of all, and defend." The buzzer signalling the end of the time out went off just then. "Go."

**XXXXXX**

Takao slipped past Hyuuga's guard, stealing the ball from him, and passing it to Midorima who was standing nearby at the half line. The Seirin captain frowned. "I see…" he muttered. _'They've given up on stopping Tamaki, and is focusing more on getting the ball to Midorima and stopping us from scoring.'_

* * *

Kise had a smirk on his face as he watched the game continue.

'_It's too bad, Midorimacchi. But you of all people should know that it's __**impossible**__ to stop Tamacchi and her Mirage,'_ he thought. _'The most that our opponents could hope for back then is to score as much as they could during the few minutes when Tamacchi was substituted, and not on the court. Mirage…isn't a skill that just anyone could handle.'_

* * *

Midorima caught the ball easily and got ready to shoot. The entire Shutoku team was taken aback when Tamaki appeared in front of her former teammate in an instant. Midorima's eye twitched. "You think you can stop me with that?" he asked. "You're underestimating me, Tamaki."

* * *

Seiho was surprised.

During their game with Seirin earlier, Tamaki had never tried to guard them even once, unless you count the one time when Tamaki had used Mirage and had switched guarding positions with Kagami to give the redhead a chance to shoot.

"Can she even stop Midorima?" Tsugawa wondered.

* * *

"Aren't _you _the one who is underestimating me, Midorima-kun?" Tamaki asked in a low voice before she bent her knees and leapt up into the air, much to everyone's shock.

Midorima was taken aback as the fingertips of the teal haired girl touches the ball before it can soar even higher into the air, and Tamaki smacked it out of midair, passing it straight towards Hyuuga who is standing at the three pointer line. The Seirin captain is scoring as well as always, with the ball soaring into the net beautifully, thus earning Seirin another three points.

The entire court was silenced at this.

* * *

"W-What is that?" Kasamatsu gaped in disbelief. "That looks like some move from volleyball or something!"

Kise was surprised, but impressed as well. _'So you've not just been sitting around idly since graduation, have you, Tamacchi?' _He smirked. _'I've never seen that before. But…' _The blonde looked worriedly at Tamaki who seems a little short of breath. _'How many times can you do that?'_

* * *

Akashi smiled.

"She got you, Shintaro," he murmured.

**XXXXXX**

Midorima's eye twitched as he looked at Tamaki who is walking across the court. _'That jumping height…'_ he thought. _'She's improved her Mirage skill. She couldn't do that before, even during a training match that we had together once in Teiko.'_

The green haired teen then recalled what Akashi had told him once during their time in Teiko.

"_Because Tamaki is the smallest and lightest out of all of us, it is true that our opponents usually attacked her first of all – because in their eyes, she's the easiest to take out. But because she's also the smallest, it also meant that out of all of us, she can move the fastest, and she can also jump the highest."_

Tamaki stopped in her tracks as she turned to look over her shoulder at Midorima. "It is easy to stop you if we knew how, Midorima-kun," she said. "Your shots take a long time to get ready. All that we have to do to stop your three pointer shots is to make sure that you either don't get the ball at all, or to knock the ball out of the air before it can even leave your hands."

* * *

"She makes it sound easy by just saying that, but actually performing it is another matter entirely." Kasuga remarked from the bleachers. "If truth be told, even if I know about Midorima's shoots and the weaknesses of it, I doubt that even _I _could stop him. What a match… I've never seen anything like this before!" He shook his head in disbelief.

"Looking at her reminds me of it again." Iwamura stated, arms crossed over his chest as he glanced at the teal haired girl. "You can't really tell just by looking at her. But like Midorima, Kuroko Tamaki is still a regular of the ultimate team in middle school basketball. This is what happens when two members of the Generation of Miracles clash!" He told his stunned teammates. "But…"

* * *

"If Kuroko knows about the weaknesses in Midorima's moves, at the same time, Midorima also knows about her weaknesses." Kasamatsu added. "Only the difference here is that it is easy for Kuroko to stop him. But for Midorima…"

Kise looked on worriedly.

* * *

"For Midorima to stop Tamaki, he needs a plan." Aomine remarked, glancing at the match currently going on below them. "Just like most of us back at Teiko, Tamaki's play is effective enough even against us."

Satsuki giggled. "That's why Ki-chan had said at one time that he is glad that Tamaki-chan is on our side, and not on the opposing team," she said cheerfully. "Dai-chan is the only one who can break through Tamaki-chan's Mirage. Even Akashi-kun would have trouble against it."

Aomine smirked at those words. He is the only one whom Mirage can't work as effectively against because he had been the one to help Tamaki develop that style, and had practiced with her more often than any other player on the Teiko team.

"And ironically, Tamaki's Mirage style is the weakness of the play styles of several of us." Aomine added. "Midorima included. Even if you knew the weaknesses and strengths of her style inside out, if you can't come up with a plan to stop her, it makes no difference either way. Unlike misdirection, you _can't_ get used to her Mirage style."

**XXXXXX**

Midorima growled low in his throat as Tamaki knocked another ball out of his hands just as the ball left his fingertips. Just how many does that makes now? Her Mirage is truly something to be feared. He had assumed that Tamaki is nowhere near, and thus, attempted to shoot. And before he even knew it, Tamaki had already knocked the ball out of the air, and had passed it to her teammate.

Midorima now understood just why so many of their opposing teams had feared Tamaki when they were back in Teiko. The saying that it is a nightmare for their opposing teams to face Tamaki when she had possession of the ball isn't all that far-fetched. Midorima kind of understood how they had felt back then.

The green haired teen then narrowed his eyes as he saw Tamaki almost stumbling over her feet before regaining back her balance. Is it just him, or does Tamaki almost seem…a little short of breath?

* * *

Aomine took one step forward, hands clenching at the railings. "Uh oh," he muttered in worry, suddenly worried about Tamaki.

Satsuki agreed with her childhood friend, her brows furrowed in worry. "This isn't good," she remarked.

Not far from them, Akashi looked at the form of his cousin worriedly. _'Tama…'_

* * *

"This is bad." Kise muttered, much to Kasamatsu's confusion.

* * *

"This isn't looking good." Iwamura commented, noticing what the rest of his teammates have missed, narrowing his eyes at the small form of the teal haired girl that had been responsible for his team's defeat to Seirin. "That girl… She's at her limit."

Stunned, his team turned their attention towards the teal haired girl. They could see that she's clearly short of breath and seems to be almost slouching on her feet. During their match with her, they could tell that Kuroko Tamaki isn't someone who would wear her emotions on her sleeve. If she's looking exhausted, it means that it's pretty bad then.

"She looks exhausted." Kasuga noted in concern. "That girl looks ready to collapse."

"Of course she is." Iwamura told his teammates. "Even though she had been on the bench for nearly two quarters during Seirin's match with us, this is still the second match of the day for her. And furthermore, she's been moving at high speeds since the second half of the first quarter, along with making those high jumps to block Midorima's shots. It is bound to take a toll on her stamina."

"And she's small in size to start with." Kasuga pointed out. "All these taken into account is bound to take a tax on her body." The blonde is suddenly concerned for the small girl.

* * *

"She's at her limit?" Kasamatsu stared at a solemn Kise. It isn't often that Kise saw something that he had missed. "Well, she _does_ look exhausted without a doubt." The Kaijo captain noted when he turned his attention back to the teal haired girl.

"If Kasamatsu-sempai can see that Tamacchi is exhausted, it means that it's pretty bad," said Kise solemnly, suddenly worried about the small girl. And from what the blonde could see from his former green haired teammate, even Midorima is concerned, despite the fact that Shutoku and Seirin are currently playing against each other in a match. "Even for us who have been her former teammates, it is usually difficult to tell what Tamacchi is thinking or even feeling." _'The only ones who could tell what she's thinking __**or **__feeling are only Satsuki-cchi, Aominecchi or even Akashi-cchi.'_

"Why is she so exhausted?" Kasamatsu asked with concern.

"Like with misdirection, Mirage isn't a skill that Tamacchi can use continuously for forty minutes." Kise explained. "That's why back during our days in Teiko, Captain often has to switch her out during matches just so that she can rest. But unlike misdirection, you _can't _get used to Mirage. It is a high speed skill specially used to steal balls and make shots, even used to circulate passes and create scoring opportunities for the rest of the team."

"Furthermore, this is her second match of the day." Kasamatsu realised what Kise is concerned about now. "Despite her being benched for nearly two quarters during their match against Seiho, it is still taxing on her stamina, especially if Seirin is depending on her play in order to score."

Kise nodded solemnly. "And Tamacchi is the only one who can stop Midorimacchi at this point in time, unless Kagamicchi thinks of something," he pointed out. Apart from Tamaki, the only one on the Seirin team who even stands a chance against Midorima is only Kagami. "Seirin is now in the lead for points." He noted, glancing at the scoreboard that read the game count as 28-15, with Seirin currently in the lead. "If Tamacchi is taken out of the game now, they'll be back to square one, as no one else on the Seirin team knows how to counter Midorimacchi's shots!"

"And it's still only the second quarter." Kasamatsu noted. "If Kuroko is taken out of the game now, Shutoku can still easily win. I can't believe this!" He sighed. "How does just having one player make such a difference?"

**XXXXXX**

Izuki scrambled to catch the ball as Tamaki knocked the ball out of mid-air once more, almost missing the ball entirely.

Hyuuga was stunned before he turned his attention back to Tamaki who is panting, sweat almost pouring down her face. He had never seen the normally emotionless teal haired girl look so exhausted before. Her legs are even starting to tremble even as she remained standing.

Midorima looked almost concerned for his former teammate. Who the hell could tell what the superstitious teen was even thinking anyway, with that poker face?

'_Tamaki looks utterly exhausted.' _The Seirin captain thought in concern. A quick glance at Kagami told Hyuuga that the redhead had noticed it as well, and is covering his partner as much as he could just so that the teal haired girl doesn't need to exert too much strength to pass the ball to her teammates. _'Her passes are lacking accuracy as well. And her speed is dropping drastically. This isn't good.'_ He gulped.

**XXXXXX**

"I-Isn't Tamaki looking exhausted?" Furihata asked suddenly from the bench, following Tamaki's form as much as he could with his eyes. With that Mirage skill of hers, it makes it difficult even for her own teammates to follow her movements.

"And isn't her accuracy and speed dropping drastically?" Koganei asked in concern. "I've never seen her so tired before."

"It's a given," said Riko grimly, worried about the small girl. "She's been moving at high speeds since the second half of the first quarter, and not to mention that jumping technique used to stop Midorima-kun. It is bound to take a tax on her stamina!"

"Shouldn't we substitute her, Coach?" Tsuchida asked, suddenly worried about their youngest player, and the only girl.

Riko bit on her lip. On one hand, Tamaki is the best chance that they have at stopping Midorima, but on the other hand, Riko isn't callous enough to sacrifice a player's health and well being just to win a match. She would never forgive herself if so. Even Midorima seems to be almost hoping that Riko would substitute Tamaki, judging by the way that he kept glancing over at the Seirin bench. Granted, that might be because he has no way to stop Tamaki at present, but still…

The brunette still remembered what Tamaki had told her during the time out that Shutoku had called for during the first half of the second quarter.

"_Can you leave Midorima-kun to me?" Tamaki asked, looking at Riko with her clear blue eyes. "Please. I got an idea. I might have an idea to stop his three pointers. I promised to bring Seirin to the top, and I intend to fulfil that promise."_

"Let's see how it goes," said Riko at last, feeling conflicted as she saw Tamaki struggling to catch her breath even as she stopped another one of Midorima's shots.

**XXXXXX**

"She is still pushing herself?" Miyaji demanded, unable to believe his eyes that the teal haired girl can still move despite her current state. "This is crazy! She's pushing herself well past her limit!"

Otsubo frowned. If that girl carries on this way, she might very well burn herself out. What the hell is Seirin's coach thinking?

Midorima glared at the Seirin bench. _'They're still making Tamaki play despite her obvious exhaustion?' _he thought, enraged. _'Hurry up and pull her out already! If this goes on…' _He glanced at his former teammate with worry.

Tamaki tapped a quick pass towards Kagami after stealing the ball from a shocked Takao who doesn't seem to know where to move. Her breaths are coming in short huffs and puffs, with Tamaki trying hard to ignore the stabbing pains in her chest, and the throbbing pains in her calves and ankles whenever she moved. Black spots are also starting to appear in her vision, and Tamaki shook her head in an attempt to clear it.

'_No…! Not now…! Not now…! I can still continue…' _Tamaki thought to herself stubbornly, missing the fact that she's starting to sway on her feet. Midorima however, didn't miss it. Though the fact that the green haired teen had been keeping a sharp eye on her _and _the match might have something to do with it. The other players currently present on the courts _and _the bleachers have also noticed it, and were looking at her in alarm. _'I can still…'_

Her vision went black.

**XXXXXX**

"Tamaki!"

The referee blew on his whistle sharply.

Only Midorima's quick reflexes had saved Tamaki from taking a swan dive to the ground as she passed out. The rest of the Seirin players raced to their teammate in alarm, and the Seirin players currently on reserve were standing up from their bench.

Up at the bleachers, Seiho looked horrified, whilst Kise looked pale. Satsuki is currently restraining Aomine from racing down to the court, and Akashi looked as if _he _is the next to faint.

Midorima lifted Tamaki up bridal style easily, apparently not noticing the death glare suddenly on his person from a certain former ace of Teiko Middle School, carrying the teal haired girl over to Seirin's bench. Koganei had folded a towel to place under Tamaki's head, acting as a pillow, whilst Furihata had started fanning at the teal haired girl with a book, concern on his face. The other Seirin players have all gathered around their bench by this point in time, with Shutoku looking on with concern.

"This is the end." Otsubo sighed. "I feel bad for that girl, but without her, there is no one to stop Midorima or to interfere with our play anymore."

Riko placed some smelling salts beneath the teal haired girl's nose, and Tamaki coughed slightly before opening her eyes, much to everyone's relief.

"Tamaki!"

"What happened?" Tamaki asked blearily.

"You fainted," said Riko, pushing Tamaki back onto the bench as she tried to get up. "No, I'm not letting you get up. I'm substituting you, Tamaki-chan." She said sternly.

"Huh?"

"You should have done that earlier," said Midorima's cold voice, and Seirin turned only to see Midorima still standing behind them. And he looked _pissed. _"Even _we _noticed that Tamaki is overexerting herself. It's not possible that you didn't. Are you trying to kill her?" He accused, and Riko flinched at Midorima's harsh tone.

"Midorima-kun." Tamaki interrupted before Midorima can deal her team another one of his cutting remarks. "I'm all right now. That's why…" The fact that the teal haired girl looked ready to pass out again failed to convince anyone otherwise. "Thank you."

Midorima looked worried before he sighed, letting out a huff. "I'll let your team take care of you," he said at last, looking as if there is more that he would like to say to Riko that could very well reduce her to tears. Despite how gentle that Midorima looks, he had quite a sharp and sarcastic tongue when enraged, something that Kise can stand witness to. "That is reckless of you just now, Tamaki." He told the small girl wryly.

Tamaki smiled a small smile up at him even as Fukuda placed a damp and cold towel on her forehead to cool her down. Midorima smiled back as he turned and returned to his team's bench, with the rest of his team looking on with both curiosity and concern.

"Hey, are you really okay?" Kagami asked with concern.

"I'm fine," said Tamaki. Her pale face failed to convince anyone otherwise. "Looks like I'm out of it for now. I'm leaving the rest to you." She told her team.

"All right, Tamaki-chan can't play anymore," said Riko, covering Tamaki's upper body with the T-shirt that she had been wearing earlier, with Fukuda fanning her with a book gently. "That means that we have to make do with whatever manpower that we currently have. Koganei-kun, you're in." She told the brunette boy.

The cat-like teen nodded. "Leave this to me!" he said.

"All right!" Hyuuga slapped at his face. "It is going to be tough without Tamaki to stop Midorima, but we're going to do it!" He said. "That's why stopping Midorima is going to be your responsibility, Kagami." He told the redhead.

The redhead grinned. "I would like nothing better!"

The buzzer went off for the end of the time out just then.

"All right, let's go!" Hyuuga ordered. "We're going to win this!"

"YEAH!"

"Can they win this?" Kawahara wondered even as they watched the players return to the court. "Without Tamaki to stop Midorima, won't this be tough?"

"It should be no problem." Tamaki added from her place on the bench, with Riko not allowing her to get up. "Of the entire team, probably, Kagami-kun is the only one who can stop Midorima-kun." She fell silent, recalling what Kise had told her when he had helped her with her practice a week earlier.

"_It's not obvious enough now, so I'm not surprised that the rest of your team and Kagami even hadn't noticed it," said Kise when they're having one of their breaks. "But Tamacchi should have noticed it too. Kagami has a single unique talent that will enable him to reach the level of the Generation of Miracles. He has the ability to reach and open the 'door'. And his special talent is…"_

"…an innate jumping ability." Tamaki murmured to herself.

**XXXXXX**

The end of the second quarter had the two teams of Seirin and Shutoku retiring back to their individual locker rooms for a strategy meeting, and the spectators of the match of Seirin versus Shutoku were all buzzing, especially with what was shown during the second half of the second quarter.

"As expected, without Tamaki, Seirin's power went down drastically, especially since they do not have anyone who could stop Midorima." Aomine remarked. "Unless there is someone who could match Midorima, I don't see how Seirin could win this."

The second half of the second quarter was a complete slaughter for Seirin. Without Tamaki who had been vital in stopping Midorima's three pointers, and is also responsible for creating scoring opportunities for her team, Seirin's power went down drastically. Shutoku had also taken the chance of Tamaki's absence to attack like a demon.

Thus, the second quarter ended with a game count of 30-45, with Shutoku now being in the lead.

"You think?" Satsuki asked her childhood friend. "I think that it's still too early to tell the result of the game. You and I both know that until the last second, it is still too early to conclude the result of a game. Furthermore, Tamaki-chan chose this school and that Kagami guy as her new partner. If she had chosen them, then I'm sure that there's something special about those guys."

"You think?" Aomine snorted, not feeling very impressed with Seirin as a whole. In his opinion, Seirin only managed to get this far because of Tamaki. "I think that they're nothing much. They only managed to beat Seiho because Tamaki was there. To choose a school as weak as this, and to choose such a weak light like _him…"_ Aomine huffed. "Tamaki must be blind to see something good in _them!"_

Akashi who wasn't standing too far away from the two childhood friends heard everything, and he sighed inwardly. _'Are you sure that that is not your green eyed monster talking, Daiki?' _He wondered.

* * *

Tsugawa was _not_ pleased with Seirin's poor show during the second half either.

"If they lose this badly, people will think that we're weak." Tsugawa grumbled.

"However, I don't think that even we could have beaten them." Iwamura pointed out.

"And here I thought that Seirin was doing well during the second quarter too." Tsugawa sulked, crossing his arms like a spoiled child that didn't get what he wants. "They lost all power when they lost that Kuroko girl."

"Well, it _is _a clash between two members of the Generation of Miracles." Iwamura pointed out.

"How can the addition of a single member change this team so much?" Kasuga wondered.

The rest of Seiho stayed silent.

Up until this year, Shutoku might be a strong school, with the reputation of being one of the three kings of Tokyo like Seiho. But with the addition of Midorima Shintaro this year, it is like their strength had changed completely overnight. Seiho doubted that even they could have beaten Shutoku. And for the past ten years, the three kings of Tokyo had been evenly matched in terms of skill.

* * *

Kise was not pleased with Seirin's poor show during the second half.

"Show some spirit, Seirin." The blonde grumbled.

"They _are,_ you idiot." Kasamatsu sighed. "After being shown such a difference in their strength, they're still barely hanging in there. That is already to be commended. They're only able to stop Midorima's play and mess up Shutoku's teamwork because of that Kuroko girl. But when they lost her during the second half…" He trailed off slowly.

Kise sighed. "They're back to square one, and Shutoku is able to attack once more," he finished. He leaned back into his seat with a huff, not happy with how things are currently going, and his phone then slipped out of his pocket and fell to the ground.

The recording that Kise had been listening to that morning played itself.

"_Next up, Oha-Asa Horoscope! Aquariuses should play it quiet today. Cancers will have a great day. As long as you have your lucky item, Shigaraki raccoon, you have nothing to fear."_

**XXXXXX**

The mood in Seirin's locker room is extremely gloomy, with not a single one of them speaking at all. No one could see a way to thwart Shutoku, and to also stop Midorima's play at all. At the very least, if Tamaki is playing, they might at least stand a chance. But as it is, Tamaki playing is out of the question now. Riko set aside, Midorima would skin them alive if something happens to Tamaki should they force her out onto the court.

The green haired teen was ready to breath fire when Tamaki had fainted on the court earlier due to over exhaustion.

The teal haired girl is looking a lot better now, especially with her resting throughout the second half ever since being taken out of the game. Riko still refuses to let her sit up however, and thus, Tamaki is currently lying down on one of the benches in the locker room, her eyes on the portable hand-cam that she is currently holding, playing the video of the Seirin versus Shutoku match during the first quarter that Kawahara had recorded earlier.

Tamaki tuned out what her seniors were talking about, and was only jerked back to Mother Earth when Izuki mentioned her name. The point guard was seated just next to her head after all, and had been curious as to what she's been watching on the hand-cam for some time.

"Tamaki, what are you doing?" Izuki asked curiously.

"Kawahara-kun taped Takao-kun during the first half." Tamaki responded, looking at Izuki upside-down.

Izuki was surprised at that. "Do you have a plan to deal with him?" he asked. Takao had been giving them some trouble during the second half. Now Izuki has a good idea how their opponents must feel when dealing with him and his Eagle Eye.

"Maybe."

"Maybe?" Izuki spluttered.

Tamaki pressed the rewind button once more, and replayed the video, focusing on Takao and his movements, especially his foot movements. _'Hmm… He seems to be following how my eye movements actually reacted.' _She frowned. _'Is there a reason for this?' _She wondered.

"Izuki-sempai, how does your Eagle Eye works?"

"Huh?" Izuki was taken aback by this question. "How does it work?" He repeated the question. The point guard then frowned. "Well, I'm not really sure how to explain it, but it's like…I changed the perspective of the court or something – like I see everything from a bird's eye view."

Hyuuga sighed, hanging his head. "Izuki, we already knew that," he complained.

Tamaki however was interested to hear what Izuki had to say, and she pressed further. "So if someone attracts your attention on purpose, will you still be able to see the _entire court?" _she pressed.

"Huh?" Izuki was now confused at Tamaki's line of questioning, unsure where it will actually lead. "Well, I've never really had someone trying to mislead me by _attracting_ my attention, but maybe…" He frowned, trying to think what _will_ actually happen should a player of the opposing team actually _attracts_ his attention on purpose. "Just maybe, I won't be able to see _everyone."_ He said at last. "What's with all the questions, Tamaki?" He asked, curious. "You got a plan?"

"Somewhat," said Tamaki, much to the entire team's surprise. "Just… I got an idea." She admitted.

Riko sighed. "Whatever your idea is, it won't help us much if you can't play, Tamaki-chan," she told the girl. "And I'm not letting you out on the court, no matter how much you beg." She said sternly. "You're barely steady on your feet as it is, and you will definitely pass out the moment that you use Mirage again."

"Things aren't looking good for us." Koganei admitted. "What should we do?"

Tamaki was silent for a long time before she put down the hand-cam that she was holding. "Teiko…wasn't always the strong team that you think of when you mention the Generation of Miracles," she said suddenly, much to everyone's surprise. "We started out as any ordinary team, battling every team that comes our way, and improving and practicing in order to get stronger. But we had it harder than other teams then, because we have to worry about the players _in _our own team too." She said mysteriously.

"What are you trying to say, Tamaki?" Hyuuga asked, confused.

"What I'm trying to say…" Tamaki sat up slowly so as to not let all the blood rush to her head all of a sudden, holding the damp cloth onto her forehead so as to not let it fall off. "Instead of thinking about _whether _you can win, why not think about _how _you can win? Until the last minute of the game is concluded, there is still a chance, isn't it? And no matter how unrealistic it sounds, a third quarter comeback still sounds entirely possible to me."

There was a very long silence as the entire team, save for Kagami, stared at Tamaki like she's an alien.

"Are you feeling okay, Tamaki?" Hyuuga asked at last. "I've never heard you talk this much before. Did you hit your head just now?"

Riko smiled. "But still, Tamaki-chan is right," she said. "It's still too early to give up. And a third quarter comeback…still sounds entirely possible to me. In fact, it sounds about right." She grinned.

**XXXXXX**

"_The coolest shot?" Kise asked outside the convenience store that Teiko students always frequented. The regulars of the first string were currently all snacking on their bought ice creams or even milkshakes, and talking about nothing in particular. "That'd be the dunk. It's the best for the guy doing it and the people watching!" He exclaimed._

_Aomine, Akashi and Murasakibara were currently still in the store. And knowing Murasakibara, he is bound to take a **long** time, since he will probably buy half the store if he could. At the rate that he's going, he'd probably die of diabetes or some sweet-related disease before he hits the age of thirty._

_Midorima huffed, being the only one among the regulars who hadn't bought anything from the store, and was instead carrying his usual lucky item of the day – a can of some beverage called 'Tsukiyo'._

"_That's why you are no good." The green haired teen said bluntly. "Shooting from far away is obviously the best, since it's worth three points."_

"_That's why I'm telling you to make up your mind already!" Aomine's annoyed voice could be heard from inside the convenience store. "You're holding up half the line, Murasakibara! Hey, Akashi! Do something, will you?"_

_Tamaki who is sipping on her vanilla milkshake turned towards her two friends, a brace around her left hand. After the Winter Cup championship league game, the other members of the Generation of Miracles rarely left her alone. One of them will always make it a point to escort her home after training, usually Aomine, as he is usually the one to practice with her until late into the night._

"_Midorima-kun, you're usually smart, but sometimes you can be stupid." Tamaki commented, much to Midorima's chagrin._

"_What?"_

"_Tamacchi, so blunt." Kise whined._

_Inside the store, Murasakibara seemed to have made up his mind at last, as the store owner is currently packing two bags, no, **three** bags of goodies for him. Clearly, it is going to take some time for him to finish packing. Had Murasakibara bought nearly half the store **again? **Well, the store owner is going to be happy, but the students that come to this store won't be happy, since it will mean that the store will be out of their favourite sweets **again.**_

"_Between two and three points, more is obviously better." Midorima argued._

_Tamaki turned towards Midorima. "What are you, a child?" she sighed._

_Midorima smirked. "The truth is simple. I will prove it to you one day." His glasses glinted._

**XXXXXX**

"Ah!"

Tamaki was jerked from her daydreams at a loud shout by Fukuda who is back to 'fanning duty' once more, sitting by Tamaki whilst fanning at her with the book that he had. Riko had all but ordered Tamaki back on the bench to 'lie down and get some rest', with the threat of knocking her out if she doesn't comply.

Tamaki opened her eyes, peeling off the towel currently covering her eyes, sitting up slowly only to see the ball rolling around the rim of Shutoku's goal, looking as if it is close to falling _out _of the goal only to go through the net, thus earning Shutoku another three points.

The teal haired girl took a quick look at Midorima only to see that he looks stunned and albeit angry. The rest of Shutoku looked bewildered as well.

* * *

"That's strange." Satsuki remarked.

"Yeah," said Aomine with a nod, a frown on his face. "In all my time playing with Midorima, that is the first time that I saw his shot go in like that." He commented. Midorima's shot usually go in neatly, never even touching the net at all. "But…" Aomine narrowed his eyes. "Probably… It wasn't a mistake on Midorima's part."

* * *

Midorima doesn't look pleased in the least.

"Hey." Midorima glanced at Kagami who walked past him. "What's your sign?" He demanded.

"Me?" Kagami looked disinterested at this question. "I'm a Leo." He responded.

Midorima's eye twitched, recalling that day's Oha-Asa horoscope.

"_With your lucky item, Shigaraki raccoon, you have nothing to fear. However, your compatibility with Leo is very poor. Be careful if you run into one."_

Midorima doesn't look pleased in the least. For the first time in his life, he is cursing the horoscope show that he had always followed without fail. "That horoscope really is always right."

**XXXXXX**

Akashi narrowed his eyes. _'That idiot!' _he thought, almost glaring at a certain redhead player on Seirin's team.

"Seirin's play…seems almost different from before." Satsuki commented. "It's true that that Kagami guy had been able to stop Midorin and that Shutoku captain, but…"

Aomine nodded silently. "It's like he's playing all by himself." He stated, looking a little uncomfortable.

* * *

"Foul! Black 10!"

Tamaki said nothing, but she did not take her eyes off of Kagami even as he committed a foul whilst stopping the Shutoku captain from scoring a basket. The current score is at 34-53, with Shutoku still in the lead. It is true that Seirin seems to be playing a lot better and is attacking more now, especially with Hyuuga making his shots, but…

"Kagami's amazing!" Furihata cheered whilst on the bench.

Kawahara agreed. "With him, we could…"

Tamaki however, doesn't seem to agree. "Are you sure?" she questioned, and the other Seirin players, and even Riko, turned their attention to her. _'His basketball… It's returned back to the way it was before he had joined the team,' _she thought. _'A one man basketball.' _The teal haired girl doesn't look pleased in the least. "If he continues like this, I have a bad feeling about what will happen."

"_The only one who can beat me, is me alone!"_

Tamaki clenched her hands into fists on her knees.

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki narrowed her eyes as she saw Kagami's legs shaking as he stood in front of Midorima, looking as if he wanted to jump to stop his shot, like how he had attempted the past several times.

She knows those signs. How many times have she seen it on herself when she was back in Teiko, especially during freshman year, particularly when she was developing her Mirage skill then? And how many times had Satsuki told her not to overexert herself?

"This doesn't look good." Tamaki said suddenly, surprising Riko and the rest of the Seirin players. The teal haired girl frowned slightly. "If Kagami-kun goes on like this, he will only be playing into Midorima-kun's hands. And furthermore, it looks like he's out of stamina." She stated grimly.

Riko's eyes widened in horror.

* * *

"He's out of gas?" Kise spluttered in horror, almost groaning at the implications of this, and what it would mean for Seirin.

First Tamaki, now Kagami?

If Kagami is taken out of the game as well, then Seirin truly will have no chance at winning! Their only chance at defeating Shutoku is to have Tamaki and Kagami on the courts facing them, or at least, _one _of them. If _both _of them are out of action, well… It'll take a miracle for Seirin to beat Shutoku then.

Kasamatsu nodded grimly, not looking happy at how things are proceeding for Seirin either. "Probably," he said. "His body's not strong enough to keep jumping like that. Just like Kuroko earlier during the second quarter, Kagami must have overexerted himself jumping all over the place. On top of that…"

* * *

"He was subbed in part way through." Iwamura stated. "But just like Kuroko from earlier, this is still his second game of the day. Furthermore, he had lost a lot of stamina from Tsugawa's mark."

Tsugawa twitched, and a red tick appeared on his head at that. "Why is that idiot letting it get to him now?" he demanded.

Kasuga sighed, placing his hands behind his head. "This doesn't look good," he commented. "And he's not the only one about to run out of gas." The blonde glanced warily at the rest of Seirin's players who were all sweating furiously, and were even out of breath.

**XXXXXX**

"End of the third quarter!"

Seirin were all trying to catch back their breath, also quenching their thirst from their bottles, also trying to cool themselves down before the start of the fourth quarter. Tamaki was still seated on the bench, as Riko simply refused to let her get up, even though the rest of the reserve players, even the three other freshmen, and even Riko herself have vacated the bench in order to let the players rest.

"Damn it!" Kagami cursed to himself.

"Kagami, you're getting too worked up." Izuki scolded. There had been an opening for Izuki earlier to score if only Kagami had just passed the ball, but thanks to Kagami's rashness, Izuki wasn't able to seize that chance. "Pay more attention to your surroundings."

"That's right." Hyuuga wasn't happy with Kagami either. The redhead's play was in a total mess as compared to all their previous games. "And that wasn't the right way to go, you should've passed first."

"What good would passing the ball around have done?" Kagami asked in a dark tone.

Hyuuga was confused. "Huh?"

Kagami's eyes were dark and cold. "I'm the only one who stands a chance against Shutoku. We don't need team play now. We need me to score."

Tamaki clenched her right hand into a fist as she listened to Kagami speak. And by the looks of things, the rest of her team were of the same opinion as well. _'It's the same,'_ she thought. _'The way that Kagami-kun is talking now… It's just the same as before.'_

"_If you think so highly of Kagami because of his attitude towards basketball, some day, the two of you will part ways." Kise warned. "The biggest difference between me and the other four isn't our physical abilities. They all have a special ability that not even I could imitate. Tamacchi, you too. Your style and your ability… It isn't something that I can imitate either. That's why more than anyone else, you should understand. I realised during today's game that he's still learning. And just like the Generation of Miracles, he has a unique ability. For now, he's still an immature challenger. He's enjoying the thrill of recklessly playing strong opponents. However, someday, he will reach the level of the Generation of Miracles and grow apart from his team. When he does, do you really believe that Kagami won't be a different person?"_

Tamaki stared at Kagami. _'Is he…going to change too?' _she wondered.

"_The only one who can beat me, is me alone!"_

"Hey, what are you saying?" Izuki demanded, not pleased with how Kagami is phrasing his words. He's making it sound like the rest of them are just deadweight.

"That's different from being self-centered!" Koganei agreed with Izuki.

Tamaki decided at this point of time that she had heard enough.

The teal haired girl had just about reached the end of her patience, which is saying something, since she is a very patient person. Like her cousin and Midorima, Tamaki had been one of the players that is the brains behind Teiko's ultimate team, the Generation of Miracles. And having a cousin who had nothing but shogi and basketball on the brain when they were growing up, Tamaki had more than enough time and experience to hone her patience and strategy skills.

But now, she had just about reached the end of her patience, especially with how she had seen Kagami playing earlier. It is starting to bring back some bad memories, particularly during her time during her third year in Teiko when everything had gone wrong.

Tamaki got up from the bench that she had been sitting on, and stepped up to Kagami, much to the confusion of her teammates. And before anyone even realises what is going on, she had dealt Kagami such a resounding slap that it actually caused the redhead to fall off the bench with the force of it.

Izuki stared at the teal haired girl with shock and wonder, as this is the first time that they've actually seen Tamaki slap someone. Well, that time with Takao too, but this…

"Tamaki-chan!" Riko cried out in surprise.

Kagami looked stunned for several moments before he looked furious and got to his feet. "Damn you, Tamaki, you…"

"Enough!" Hyuuga ordered, standing in between the two freshmen, especially since it looks almost as if a fight is about to break out. And no matter the reason, a man _never_ lays a hand on a girl. Midorima would skin Kagami alive if he does so, never mind what the rest of Seirin would do to the redhead.

"Are you calm now?" Tamaki asked with steely eyes, and with a cold tone that made Kagami stop whatever it is that he is about to say. "Or do you want another slap? Maybe it'll be enough to wake you up." She said coldly.

"What?"

"You can't play basketball by yourself." Tamaki said coolly, her voice taking on a tone that none of her team had ever heard her use before.

Kagami only grew angrier at those words, and Koganei and Mitobe immediately huddled together to hold the angry redhead back before he could spring on Tamaki. "As long as we play nice together, you don't care if we lose?" Kagami demanded. "There's no point if we don't win."

"There's no point if you win by yourself!" Tamaki told him sharply, and Kagami's eyes widened in shock. The rest of the team looked on with shock as well, as this is probably the first time that they have seen Tamaki getting angry with Kagami. And if this is her starting to get angry, then they have no wish to see her when she is truly pissed. "You make me sick. You said you wanted to beat the Generation of Miracles, yet the way that you are thinking is no different from them."

Riko looked on with shock, and Furihata who is standing next to Riko stared at Tamaki with wonder.

The both of them recalled what Tamaki had mentioned about her old team at one time. The teal haired girl never really talked much about her time in Teiko, but Seirin knew enough from her that during their third year in Teiko, the entire team changed drastically. Some of Seirin's players, with Hyuuga and Izuki among them, have suspected that the split of the Generation of Miracles after middle school might have something to do with that.

"Even if we beat Shutoku as a team that can't trust each other, no one will be happy." Tamaki told Kagami steely.

"Don't be so naïve!" Kagami roared, struggling to get out of Mitobe and Koganei's holds, but the two second years held firm. "If we don't win, those are nothing more than nice words!"

"Let me ask you something then. Just what is it that you are playing?" Tamaki asked dangerously, the look in her eyes being one that no one had ever seen before. Tamaki almost seems…dangerous at this point. "Is basketball a one man sport to start with?" Everyone on the team was shocked. "It's a _team_ sport. To you, what _is _victory? No matter how many more points you have at the end of the game, if you're not happy, that is _not_ victory."

A shocked silence descended upon the entire team at Tamaki's words. Kagami was the most shocked and stunned out of the entire team. He had been so focused and caught up with trying to beat Midorima that he had almost forgotten just _what _is it that he had been playing. Just _why _he had played basketball.

"That's right," said Koganei, trying to break the awkward silence that had befallen upon the entire team, even as he and Mitobe both released their holds on Kagami. "It's not as though we want to lose."

"We're just saying that there's no reason for you to do it all yourself." Izuki added.

"Do you have any objections?" Hyuuga asked Kagami.

"No, but… Well…" Kagami stammered. "Sorry." Unfortunately, Tamaki doesn't look as if she would be accepting his apology anytime soon, judging by the look on her face. "Of course I'd rather be happy when we win."

The rest of the team smiled at that, and Hyuuga gave out a huff. "Well… Now that Tamaki had calmed Kagami down, the situation hasn't changed." The Seirin captain glanced at the scoreboard that read 47-61, with Shutoku being in the lead. "What should we do?"

Tamaki sighed. "There may be one thing that we can do," she said, and the rest of the team turned to her immediately.

Riko almost groaned. "Tamaki-chan, I've already told you, I'm not letting you out on the court!" she said firmly. "You will probably collapse if you use Mirage again! You can barely stand on your own feet as it is!"

"I'm not using Mirage." Tamaki interrupted. "I know my own limits. I'll stick to using misdirection for the fourth quarter. There is one thing that we can try however." She told the brunette coach.

Riko let out a sigh. _'The last quarter, and more than ten points behind,' _she thought, glancing at the scoreboard. _'It is true that if Tamaki-chan plays, we might still be able to clinch a victory, but…' _She glanced at the teal haired girl. "Can you go for the next ten minutes?" she asked seriously, and Tamaki nodded. "Very well. But what are you planning?"

"For now, I can only pass the ball, and I seriously doubt that I'll be able to move fast as well," said Tamaki, peeling off the jacket that she had on, and dumping it onto the bench. She then turned to face the rest of her team. "But I can take my pass technique up to another level." She told her shocked team.

Tamaki glanced at the Shutoku bench, tightening the wristband around her right wrist.

The battle isn't over yet.

It is just starting.

* * *

_A/N: And done! I know that I've been focusing more on Tamaki for this chapter, but I've always did like Kuroko more in canon, as compared to Kagami. And I've never been too fond of Kagami right from the start anyway. I'm trying **not** to bash him, but trust me, the temptation is very strong to ignore. And one Ignite Pass coming right up next chapter!_

_Also, a few readers have been asking me about the Seirin versus Touou match. I have my own plans regarding that match, you'll see what later. As for those that want some Aomine and Tamaki fluff, you'll get them after Shutoku's match. I'm planning on a date chapter for Aomine and Tamaki after the Seirin versus Shutoku match._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	11. To Win!

_Aomine and Tamaki fluff: _It's coming! It's coming! Like I said, it will happen after the match with Shutoku, which means that it will be an original chapter after this chapter. Expect Aomine's green eyed monster to come out though, when it comes to Kagami.

_Kagami:_ Seems like I'm not the only one who isn't too fond of Kagami. And like I said earlier, yes, I do not like him, but I'm _trying_ not to bash him. And trust me, the temptation to _not_ bash him is very difficult to ignore.

_#2:_ Yeah, I have a few plans in mind for Kuroko's cute little husky. But unlike canon, he won't be going by this name in this story. You'll see why later.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Eleven: To Win!**

"_But I think inspiring dunks like the one he just made, are worth more than the points they score." - Kuroko Tamaki_

**XXXXXX**

The entire Seirin team was surprised to hear Tamaki's words. Taking the pass technique up to another level? Is there such a thing? Then why is it that no one had ever seen her using it before?

"Your new pass?" Riko asked in surprise.

"Why haven't you said anything before?" Hyuuga asked, annoyed that the teal haired girl had kept this quiet for such a long time.

"There are quite a few reasons definitely. But the main one is that only a few people can catch it." Tamaki explained. She glanced at her redhead partner. _'Up until now, only the Generation of Miracles could catch that pass. But if it's Kagami-kun…' _She flexed the fingers on her right hand. "But in his current condition, Kagami-kun may be one of them." She glanced at her teammates. "However, just passing to Kagami-kun won't work until the end. We'll have to break free from Takao-kun and use normal passes as well." Her eyebrow twitched at the mere mention of that guy.

Riko giggled. "You really don't like him, do you?" she teased the younger girl. "But will you be all right? You're still exhausted, aren't you? You definitely can't use any high level techniques right now, let alone using Mirage."

"I'll manage," said Tamaki. "Furthermore, Shutoku will expect me to use Mirage. It's Takao-kun who is the problem here."

Silence fell among the Seirin team once more before Izuki spoke up, a smile on his face.

"But maybe we can do it," said Izuki, and everyone in the team turned towards the point guard. The black haired teen had a secret smile on his face as he looked at Tamaki, almost like he knew something that the rest of the team doesn't. "Besides, my eyes are cramping up." He said mysteriously, much to the team's confusion.

"What does that mean?" Koganei asked in confusion.

**XXXXXX**

The buzzer that signals the start of the fourth quarter went off just then, and the two teams of Seirin and Shutoku headed back to the courts slowly.

"Go for some shots in the last quarter." Hyuuga told Izuki.

During the third quarter, Izuki had been doing nothing but just blocking and passing, trying to cover his teammates as much as they could just so that they could shoot. He isn't as skilled at support play like Tamaki, thus, what Izuki could do is fairly limited.

"Sempai…" Hyuuga turned over his shoulder only to see Kagami standing behind him with a sheepish look on his face, rubbing the back of his head in a manner reminiscent of a child that just got caught doing something wrong. "Sorry about that."

"Hmm? Oh, don't worry about it," said Hyuuga cheerfully, and Kagami breathed a sigh of relief. "That's what I'd like to say." Kagami blinked at the dark tone that entered Hyuuga's voice, and looked at the bipolar captain only to see an almost menacing dark aura surrounding his body. And despite the fact that Kagami is taller than Hyuuga, he suddenly felt very small in front of the Seirin captain. "But the way you said that, I'll hit you later."

Izuki stared at their apparently bipolar captain who is currently in clutch mode. "Hey, we're starting, Hyuuga."

"Well, it'll have to wait." Hyuuga sighed, apparently not on 'switch on' mode anymore, much to Kagami's relief. Nothing scares him more than facing his angry captain when on 'switch on' mode or Tamaki when she's _really_ pissed at him. So far, he hadn't seen her _that_ angry with him yet, and he prayed that he would never get to see it. If that earlier was her starting to get angry, then he'll hate to see it when she's really pissed. "Laugh or cry, we've only got ten more minutes." Hyuuga murmured, glancing at the electronic scoreboard that currently read 47-61 with Shutoku currently in the lead. "Let's go!"

**XXXXXX**

"Let the fourth quarter begin."

Within the bleachers whilst being seated next to Kasamatsu, Kise looked worried as he saw Tamaki making her way onto the courts with the rest of her teammates, with Koganei being subbed out. Can she even last ten minutes? Even back in Teiko, Tamaki's stamina had always been an issue for her, as her skill is a high speed skill, easily draining her stamina if she uses it for long.

"Tamacchi's playing." Kise said worriedly.

Kasamatsu frowned, glancing at the small girl on the court. She still looked pale and even a little tired. And then again, just fifteen or so minutes of rest to recover her stamina from overuse of Mirage simply isn't enough.

'_What do they think that they're doing?' _Kasamatsu wondered. _'As long as Takao is on the court, her invisibility is no trump card. And she can't use Mirage anymore. Or do they have a plan?'_

* * *

"They're making Tamaki continue playing?" Aomine hissed in fury. "This is overdoing it! Tamaki shouldn't even be able to move much at this point of time! Putting her on the court right now…"

"If it's Tamaki-chan, I'm sure that she probably asked to be put in." Satsuki interrupted Aomine. "Besides, she knows her own limits. Tamaki-chan probably wouldn't go overboard." She reassured Aomine. _'At least, I hope so.' _She thought with a wince, remembering just how Tamaki's hand had looked like during their first and third years of Teiko when she was perfecting the Ignite Pass with her left and right hands respectively.

The teal haired girl wasn't able to use the respective hand for weeks after that, as it was covered in black and blue bruises.

* * *

Hyuuga who currently had possession of the ball moved down the court with Kimura marking the Seirin captain. He glanced towards the side only to see Takao marking Tamaki just like back in the first quarter, and he then noticed that Tamaki wasn't as agile and fast like she was usually. Clearly, the exhaustion from back during the second quarter must still be getting to her.

'_She can't use that Mirage skill from earlier.' _Takao thought, exhausted like every single one of his teammates, but not willing to give up on winning just yet. _'So she must stick to using misdirection for now. And if so, this will be just like the first quarter! No, I can see her even better!'_

* * *

Akashi smirked, suddenly recognising that glint in Tamaki's eyes. The teal haired girl didn't become the vice-captain of the Teiko basketball club just for her basketball skills alone and her passion for the sport. She had a sharp tactical mind to match his own, and the guts to carry out her plans.

"I see." Akashi murmured, suddenly realising just what is it that his cousin had in mind. _'So that's how it is. Only __**you**__ could have come up with a plan like that.' _He smirked. "This is going to be good," he said.

* * *

Hyuuga immediately passed the ball to Kagami who was standing nearby, with the redhead currently getting guarded by Midorima. He immediately made for the goal only to see Otsubo standing in his way, and Kagami growled. Tamaki's words from earlier reached the fore of his mind, and the redhead frowned.

'_We will win!'_

He then passed the ball straight towards Mitobe who is standing nearby, much to Midorima and Otsubo's shock, as neither one of the two Shutoku players were expecting Kagami to pass the ball. Mitobe immediately scored another basket for Seirin, much to Riko's delight.

Otsubo grabbed the ball as it fell from the basket, glancing at Kagami with surprise, as his play is different from during the third quarter. It wasn't as desperate or wild like before. It is instead more controlled, with a calmness to it. Just what had happened during the interval earlier?

'_He's not charging in by himself like before.' _Otsubo thought to himself.

Midorima was apparently thinking along the same lines as his captain. But unlike the Shutoku captain, he knew what had caused the redhead to calm down. _'Getting slapped by Tamaki earlier must have cooled his head,' _he thought, and the green haired teen winced internally. Not even he wanted Tamaki to get angry with him. _'He's playing a lot better now, especially with Tamaki out on the court to help him. However, you have only a little stamina left.'_

Otsubo immediately threw the ball to Midorima, much to Seirin's horror.

* * *

"Uh oh." Satsuki muttered, and Aomine agreed with her.

"If Seirin lets the point gap get any further, they won't have any chance of winning," he said. "Now it's down to the flow of the game. Whichever team that controls the flow will be the victor."

* * *

'_It is true that I'm running on empty.' _Kagami thought to himself as he pushed himself to reach Midorima before he could shoot a three pointer. _'But…'_

"_Tamaki-chan can't stop Midorima-kun anymore." Riko told her team. "It'll be asking too much of her to even move fast right now. That's why…" She turned towards Kagami. "Kagami-kun, how many more times can you jump?"_

"_Jump?" Kagami echoed in confusion._

"_You mean those super jumps that stopped Midorima?" Hyuuga questioned._

"_They push your natural jumping power to the limit, so they're exhausting." Riko told Kagami. "On top of that, your body isn't strong enough yet. There's a limit on how many times you can do that in a game."_

"_Just like Tamaki's Mirage?" Izuki piped in, and Riko nodded solemnly._

"_I can still jump!" Kagami insisted. "Any number of times."_

"_You don't need to act tough right now!" Riko reprimanded Kagami, annoyed. _

_Honestly, had he forgotten just **why** Tamaki had slapped him not even a few seconds ago? In Riko's opinion however, Kagami needs more than a slap. He needs someone to put him over their knee, and to give him a few spanks like a naughty kid. _

_Riko glanced down, studying the muscles of Kagami's slightly shaking legs. Behind her, Tamaki was doing the same thing. One doesn't become best friends with one of the nation's best managers and training teachers to **not** pick up a few things along the way._

"_Two's your limit." Riko observed._

"_Two?" Izuki spluttered._

"_How are we supposed to stop Midorima with two?" Hyuuga panicked._

_Riko didn't answer for several moments, turning her attention towards Tamaki who already seem to know what Riko is going to ask her. The teal haired girl seemed to have that freaky psychic ability of knowing just what is going to happen, and what is running through her teammates' heads. And then again, her hobby is 'watching people', and she is extremely observant, so things like that shouldn't be a surprise._

"_Tamaki-chan, can you still jump?" Riko asked. Tamaki nodded slowly. "If so, how many more times can you do it?"_

_Tamaki didn't answer for a while. "At most… Just one more time," she said. "Anymore than that, and you might as well just pull me out already." She said bluntly._

_Everyone understood what Tamaki had meant._

_The teal haired girl is already pushing herself beyond her limit just by going out on the court once more. If they ask her to jump more than once by using those jumps of hers to stop Midorima's shots that she had used earlier, then she will be next to useless on the court._

"_All right," said Riko with a sigh. "It can't be helped then. Tamaki-chan, Shutoku won't be expecting for you to have the stamina to do anything more than just using misdirection. I'll leave it to you to use that one chance that you got to stop Midorima-kun's shot." Tamaki nodded, and Riko then turned back towards Kagami. "And it looks like you have to stop Midorima-kun, since Tamaki-chan can't do it anymore." She told the redhead. "Your limit for now is two jumps. Keep one for the deciding moment of the game, and use the other…"_

Kagami bent his knees, ignoring the groaning that his knees gave out, even as he leapt into the air with a loud roar. _'Tamaki can't stop Midorima anymore, and I'll rather that my legs give out on me than ask her to do anymore than she already has to!' _Kagami thought furiously to himself. _'If even Tamaki has to force herself out on the court despite her current state, then what kind of man am I if I have to get her to do everything? Besides, the coach told me to use my first jump…'_

"…_to stop the first shot of the fourth quarter!"_

Kagami knocked the ball out of Midorima's hands, much to the green haired teen's shock and surprise that the redhead can actually still jump, despite his obvious exhaustion, along with the rest of his team. This is their second match of the day after all, with both matches against one of the best schools in the Tokyo district.

'_He can still jump?' _Midorima thought with both shock and irritation, and though he hated to admit it, awe. _'But I know that he's nearly out of energy now. Doesn't he intend to save anything for the end?'_

The ball was immediately in Hyuuga's possession, and the Seirin captain immediately passed it to Izuki who scored a ball into the goal, thus making the current score at 51-61 with Shutoku still in the lead.

**XXXXXX**

"It's hard to believe that their coach is only a year older than us." Satsuki remarked up in the bleachers, studying the grim face of Seirin's coach, an amused smile on her lips. The pink haired girl would never admit it to anyone else, but the coach reminded Satsuki of herself during her first year in Teiko when both her and Tamaki were standing in as temporary coaches for the basketball team until the School Board can hire one.

"I'm surprised that he can still jump though." Aomine commented, glancing at the obviously exhausted redhead.

"At most, he can only jump two more times." Satsuki explained. "That should be his limit. Like Tamaki-chan, Ki-chan, Midorin and all of you, you might have strong techniques and skills, but your limit is still your body. You can't perform powerful moves without overtaxing your own body. It's the same for him." She glanced at Kagami. "No matter how powerful he is, his body is still that of a high school student. Besides, if I'm the coach, I would have gotten Kagami to use his first jump to stop Midorin's first shot too."

"Why?"

"For the sake of a bluff." Satsuki smiled at her childhood friend. "Shutoku is already unnerved as it is by the fact that Tamaki-chan is out on the court. And starting now, Seirin can barely cover Midorin normally, as Tamaki-chan can no longer stop him. Thus, it fell to Kagami to be the one to stop Midorin. However, Midorin won't take an impossible shot as long as he thinks that Kagami might still have those unbelievable jumps left in him."

"And if Midorima thinks that that Kagami guy might still be able to stop him using those jumps, Seirin will be able to reduce the number of shots that he takes." Aomine realised. He shook his head. "What a team!"

Akashi was amused. _'So they've got those types on Seirin as well,' _he mused, glancing at Kagami and to the coach currently sitting on Seirin's bench. _'Interesting. But it looks like whether Seirin will walk away as the victor or not will be entirely up to Tama.' _He glanced at his cousin.

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki's eye had a barely noticeable twitch as Takao continued marking her. The black haired teen however was smart enough to _not_ stand too close to her, lest he wants a matching handprint on his other cheek.

Takao is already wondering what he should tell his classmates on Monday once he returns to school about that handprint on his face. Maybe he should tell them that his girlfriend slapped him? He ignored the fact that he _didn't_ even have one.

"Looks like they're really counting on you." Takao teased. "But no matter what you try, I'll stop you." He didn't get the reaction that he wants out of Tamaki. "You can't escape my Hawk Eye."

Not far away from the two, Hyuuga was watching with concern. Tamaki's stamina is another matter that concerns him, but the other matter is that if Tamaki uses her misdirection, Takao can easily see her using his Hawk Eye.

'_Without any blind spots, Tamaki's misdirection won't work against Takao.' _Hyuuga thought in frustration. "What are you going to do, Tamaki?"

Izuki who was standing behind Hyuuga glanced at Tamaki and saw that she doesn't look worried at all. And then again, the teal haired girl rarely shows expressions on her face as it is. The point guard of Seirin then recalled what Tamaki had asked him in the locker room during the time out earlier.

_Tamaki however was interested to hear what Izuki had to say, and she pressed further. "So if someone attracts your attention on purpose, will you still be able to see the entire court?" she pressed._

Izuki smiled to himself. _'She might just have an idea how to deal with Takao,' _he thought, glancing at the black haired teen currently marking Tamaki. "Actually, it's probably not completely ineffective against him." He told Hyuuga who looked confused. "Takao's Hawk Eye's field of vision is so wide that he can see the entire court. That's why he can continue to watch Tamaki even if his attention is directed elsewhere. So…" Izuki grinned.

Takao was taken aback as Tamaki didn't even try to do anything, even as she remained standing in front of him, a cold look in her eyes that almost dared him to try anything.

"So instead of directing attention away from herself, Tamaki used the _opposite misdirection_ instead." Izuki explained to a shocked Hyuuga. "In other words, she drew attention towards _herself."_

Takao was bewildered. _'What is she thinking? She's close. What is she doing? She can't use Mirage anymore. Thus, the only thing that she can do now is misdirection. But…'_

* * *

"During the first quarter, the reason why Tamaki kept passing despite her passes being blocked was to make Takao focus on her." Aomine stated. "The reason why she used her Mirage after that is partly to stop Midorima. And secondly, it is also to make Takao switch his focus on her."

'_And like what Tama had found out when she was trying to perfect the misdirection style during third year, that skill can work both ways.' _Akashi thought. _'It can either direct the opponent's attention elsewhere. Or it can make the opponent focus on her. To defeat that eye, Tama has to focus his vision, and it can be then directed somewhere else.'_

* * *

Takao was taken aback as Tamaki suddenly disappeared from his sight.

'_You're kidding, right? I lost sight of her? When? Why? It can't be Mirage, so just what…'_ Takao looked around frantically for the teal haired girl.

'_Looks like it worked.'_ Tamaki thought, staying out of Takao's senses. _'Sorry, but your Hawk Eye won't work anymore. Misdirection can work both ways after all. And this isn't all that it's capable of.'_

Izuki passed the ball quickly to Kagami.

'_Calm down.'_ Takao tried to calm himself down. _'Even if I can't find that girl, I still know Kagami's location. As long as I jump between the ball and Kagami…'_

He moved.

"Unfortunately, you will not get it this time." Tamaki stated, flexing the fingers on her right hand in preparation for her next move. "Changing the direction of the passes isn't all that I'm capable of. This pass…" The ball flew towards Tamaki. "…increases the ball's speed!"

The ball hit the surface of her palm before Tamaki propelled it forwards. Like a bullet being released from a gun, the ball immediately flew across the court even before Takao can intercept it, heading straight towards Kagami's direction.

Seirin were all shocked, as this is the first time that they've seen Tamaki performing such a pass. Shutoku was not all that much better, though Takao was more than shocked. And for the Generation of Miracles currently present, every single one of them recognised that pass immediately. After all, that pass had saved their lives more than once during a particularly intense match back in middle school.

'_She __**punched **__the ball?' _Takao thought in bewilderment. _'Is such a thing even possible? And catching that couldn't have been easy! I can't believe this!'_

Meanwhile, Kagami headed towards the goal only to see Midorima blocking his path.

_You can only jump two more times. Keep one for the deciding moment of the game._

Kagami gritted his teeth, tightening his hold on the ball. _'I know that, but if we don't make something happen here…'_

He made for a jump towards the goal, with Midorima jumping as well to stop him. Kagami easily slipped past Midorima's block and dunked the ball into the goal, hence earning Seirin another two points.

* * *

"He's done it now." Kise murmured, still unable to believe that he had just seen what had just happened. "He finally blew over Midorimacchi. And not only that…" The blonde glanced at Tamaki. _'That was the pass only the Generation of Miracles could catch during middle school!'_ Kise suddenly grew worried about Seirin's chances of victory when he saw Kagami hunched over on his knees, obviously exhausted and worn out. "Is he going to be all right running on fumes?"

Kasamatsu sighed. "Well, you could argue that that wasn't the time to force a dunk," he said. "I mean, there's not much point to dunking anyway."

Kise huffed. "He just loves to show off."

Kasamatsu looked irritated. _'Isn't this the pot calling the kettle black?' _"So do you."

**XXXXXX**

"Tamaki?" Tamaki turned around only to see Kagami approaching her. "Can you still hold on?"

The teal haired girl nodded. "Yeah. I can still go on," she said, despite the stabbing pains in her calves and thighs. She knew that she is going to be feeling that the next day, but for now, she ignored it.

"All right. It sucks, but the coach was right." Kagami admitted. "I don't think that I can jump anymore. I'm going to have to trick Midorima into thinking I can cover him. I don't really want to say this, but the rest is up to you."

Tamaki nodded. "Okay."

* * *

"If Seirin continues on this way, maybe they will win." Satsuki voiced out. "After all, Tamaki-chan's my best friend!"

Aomine resisted the urge to sweat drop. _'What has that got to do with anything?'_ he wondered. "Well, we'll see," he mused, turning his attention back to the match currently happening on the courts that is fast approaching the last few minutes of the game. "You never know until the game is over." He unknowingly said the same thing that Tamaki had said once upon a time. "They're both strong players. After all, they took the middle school championship title three years in a row. Both Tamaki and Midorima." He added.

**XXXXXX**

Izuki passed the ball to Tamaki who immediately performed a tap pass, passing it to Mitobe who was nearby. The silent player immediately performed a quick shot that went in. Takao growled low in his throat as he finally saw Tamaki standing not far from him.

'_When did she get there?'_ Takao thought, growing frustrated with his sudden lack of sight regarding Tamaki. _'I don't know what's going on anymore!'_

**XXXXXX**

"Two more minutes, and a two point difference." Akashi mused, glancing at the scoreboard that currently read 76-78 with Shutoku still in the lead. "This is the deciding factor of the game." He glanced at Tamaki and Midorima on the court. "What will both of you do now?"

**XXXXXX**

"Shutoku High time out!"

Midorima was exhausted, and it showed in the way that he carried himself. "I didn't think that you would catch up this much," he told Tamaki, sweat running down his brow.

Tamaki glanced over her shoulder at Midorima, her own exhaustion clear to everyone watching as well. "Midorima-kun, you once said that dunks are shots that can only score two points," she said, recalling that conversation of a time long past during their second year in Teiko. "Your threes certainly are impressive." She admitted. "But I think inspiring dunks like the one he just made, are worth more than the points they score."

Midorima was not amused.

* * *

"That's the last time out." Iwamura stated. "Seirin's got control of the game right now."

* * *

"Will Shutoku break away, or will Seirin overcome them?" Kasamatsu mused. "It's a deciding time out."

* * *

"There are two minutes left." Riko told her team. "And a two point difference. We have to go on the offence from now on, and we can't let them gain possession of the ball."

"The last minute of the game…" said Tamaki, and everyone turned towards her. "The last minute of the game, if you can pass me the ball, I think I can try something. It's just that I'm not sure just how much I can control it however…" She admitted as she flexed her right wrist.

Riko frowned. "What do you have in mind?" she asked carefully.

"You'll see later," said Tamaki with a shake of her head. "Seeing is believing after all."

**XXXXXX**

Miyaji threw the ball towards Midorima, to the shock of the Seirin freshmen currently on the bench. If Midorima got another three pointer in at this point of time… Riko however, didn't look worried in the least, and she smirked.

"I thought that they might try that!" she smirked.

Before Midorima can even touch the ball, Tamaki smacked the ball away from the green haired teen, much to his surprise and shock, passing it to Hyuuga who was standing nearby.

"Once Kagami-kun's trick was revealed, their passes would focus on Midorima-kun. It's like they're telling us where they're passing to!" Riko proclaimed.

The Seirin captain immediately grabbed the ball and headed straight for the goal, with Otsubo close behind him. _'I know raw talent is all that matters. But I can't say that I'm happy to be relying on the freshmen.'_ Otsubo thought, irritated. _'We upperclassmen have our pride. Miyaji and Kimura practiced harder than anyone else. But more than that, the regulars represent the guys whose hard work didn't even get them on the bench.'_

Otsubo smacked the ball out of Hyuuga's hands before he could even score, much to the Seirin captain's dismay.

* * *

"This is kind of creepy." Kise said at last after several seconds ticked by with neither team scoring at all. "I thought that it would get more intense."

"Since Shutoku dropped their pace, the score's been frozen in place." Kasamatsu remarked. _'It isn't unusual for the last few minutes of the game to be the most intense. So why isn't Shutoku doing anything at all?'_ The Kaijo captain wondered. He glanced at the scoreboard. The score currently read 76-78, with one more minute to go. "One more minute."

* * *

Midorima scored a three pointer that went in easily, thus making the score 76-81 in Shutoku's favour, much to Seirin's horror, and with thirty seconds left to go that marks the end of the game.

"Damn it!" Kagami cursed to himself.

"Izuki!" Hyuuga called to the point guard who currently had possession of the ball, but wasn't able to do anything thanks to Miyaji's mark on him.

Izuki immediately passed the ball to the Seirin captain, and Hyuuga immediately score a three pointer from where he is standing.

* * *

"Two points difference, with a few seconds left." Satsuki muttered. "There's no more time. Seirin can't let Midorin shoot anymore."

* * *

"Fifteen seconds left." Kise muttered in anxiety.

"This is Seirin's last chance." Kasamatsu stated. "If they can't make another three pointer at this point of time, it will be over."

**XXXXXX**

Five seconds left.

Izuki currently had possession of the ball, and Tamaki looked down at her right hand.

"_Tamacchi, never use that shot." Kise warned, looking unusually serious. "You can't control it yet, and you know it. Not even with your left hand back during our Teiko days. It is a powerful skill, sure. But like with every powerful skill, it has drawbacks. And in this case, it's too dangerous."_

'_This is our last chance.'_ Tamaki thought. _'Midorima-kun wouldn't be able to stop this. Nor can anyone else.' _"Izuki-sempai!" she called out to Izuki who was standing nearby. The point guard immediately passed the ball to Tamaki.

* * *

"What is she thinking?" Iwamura wondered. "She can't shoot, right? And she can no longer use that high speed skill of hers."

* * *

Tamaki held the ball in her right hand, with her right arm held away from the rest of her body, her left foot behind her right, her body slightly bent over. Midorima's eyes widened in shock, along with the rest of the Generation of Miracles currently present.

They recognised that stance immediately.

* * *

"It can't be…!" Akashi gasped. "No!"

* * *

"Tamacchi, stop it!" Kise bellowed in panic, nearly deafening Kasamatsu who was next to him. "You can't control it yet!"

* * *

"NO, TAMAKI! DON'T USE IT!" Midorima bellowed, losing his composure for once in his life, and causing his entire team to stare at him like he's some sort of alien. Since _when_ did Midorima _shout?_

Tamaki ignored Midorima's panicked shout. _'I don't care even if my hand gives way. Just this once… Please… Make it in!' _She turned her right wrist, tightening the muscles in her hand before smacking the ball with the heel of her palm with full force and power packed behind it, unlike the time with her super long range pass during the first quarter or even her Ignite Pass. Tamaki felt her muscles giving way in her right wrist, along with the familiar hot white pain that seared through her entire arm, but she didn't care, even as she launched the ball across the court.

* * *

Kise's face was pale with shock and worry. "Cyclone Shot…" The blonde muttered. _'The one move for her Mirage skill that is deemed too dangerous to be performed by Akashi-cchi during middle school, and thus, was sealed away until her body had grown enough to be able to perform it safely.'_

"Tamacchi… What is she _thinking?"_ He cried.

* * *

The ball flew across the court in a curve, even faster than the Ignite Pass from earlier, gaining speed as it does so, spiralling higher into the air as it approaches the goal and went into the basket, almost knocking the hoop out of the goal, with the buzzer going off as it did so.

The loud cheers that filled the court, especially from the Seirin side, almost took the roof off. Seirin was so busy cheering at the top of their lungs that they didn't realise that Tamaki had fallen to her knees, cradling her right wrist.

Seirin was only alerted to it when Midorima had nearly knocked over Izuki in his haste to reach Tamaki, not seemingly affected by his first loss. Even Kise had _wept_ when he had lost to Seirin during that practice match so long ago. "Tamaki!" Midorima called out, falling to his knees by Tamaki's side, grasping her right arm gently. "Let me take a look!" He ordered.

Seirin's cheers had died down, but the spectators didn't. As one, the Seirin team rushed to Tamaki and Midorima. The green haired teen was carefully examining the teal haired girl's right wrist, and he wasn't happy with how bruised and swollen that her right wrist looked. And with her porcelain pale skin, the bruising looks even worse than it actually is.

"What happened?" Riko demanded, seeing the state of her female player's right wrist. _'What could have caused this?'_ She wondered. _'Tamaki didn't injure her hand at all!'_

"I'll handle this!" Midorima told Riko. "Get me a cold compressor or some ice!"

**XXXXXX**

Ten minutes later can find Midorima and Tamaki in Seirin's empty locker room, even as Midorima pressed the cold compressor gently against the bruised wrist, a first aid kit opened next to him. The two teams of both Shutoku and Seirin were currently performing the usual after match greeting, with the score being 80-78 in Seirin's victory.

"You're too reckless." Midorima reprimanded Tamaki, lifting the cold compressor to examine the wrist only to see that the swelling or the bruising doesn't seem to have gone down. If anything, it seems to have gotten _worse._ The green haired teen had been like the Generation of Miracles' doctor during their Teiko days, and had been the one to patch up his teammates should they ever get injured. "You know that you still can't handle the Cyclone Shot, and yet you used it with your _right hand._ Do you really want to stop playing basketball for eternity?" He huffed.

"…Sorry." Tamaki muttered, flinching slightly as Midorima aggravated the injury.

Midorima sighed as he massaged her right wrist gently, before spraying the coolant in the first aid box onto the bruised wrist. He then bandaged Tamaki's wrist expertly and quickly. "Well, I'm no doctor, but even I can tell that you're going to be out of commission for awhile," he told Tamaki. "It's a pretty bad sprain. You definitely won't heal in time for the championship league." Midorima reminded. "I hope that you can at least manage to write with your left hand, or your schoolwork is going to suffer."

Tamaki winced. She had a feeling that that is going to be the case. "But the next match is—"

"Yeah. Against _him."_ Midorima said grimly. "Seirin will have to deal with the match without you, unless you want to cripple your _right hand _too." He told her sternly. "Tamaki, you should have learnt by now that when you sustain a sports injury, you rest and let it heal completely before attempting to use it." He glanced up at the closed door as he heard the sounds of Seirin approaching. "I should go."

"Midorima-kun, are you…mad?" Tamaki asked him as Midorima got up to leave.

"I'm mad that you used the Cyclone Shot definitely, without caring for your own body. I'm mad that you pushed yourself to the limit until you collapsed. But I can never be angry at you for defeating Shutoku," said Midorima. "Shutoku lost, I will accept it as Seirin being better than us this time. But I wasn't defeated by Kagami. I won't be defeated by someone outside the team. That's all that is to it." He told Tamaki, and the teal haired girl knew that he's referring to the Generation of Miracles. "Rest well."

**XXXXXX**

It was pouring with rain when Kise left the arena with Kasamatsu, with umbrellas held above their heads, their shoes squeaking with the rainwater on the ground.

"I guess the rain isn't going to stop today." Kise sighed. He's concerned about Tamaki's injury, but he knew that with Midorima tending to her, she is going to be all right. Now the thing that he is concerned about is… _'The championship league is next. Which means it won't be long before they play Aominecchi.' _He thought in worry. _'And by the looks of things, Tamacchi won't be able to play in the next match. I got a bad feeling about this.'_

**XXXXXX**

Out by the entrance of the arena, Midorima didn't seem to care that the rain is currently pelting down on him as he turned his face upwards towards the skies so that the raindrops fell on his face and ran down his neck. With the rainwater running down his face like that, one can't even tell if he's crying or not.

Midorima meant what he had said to Tamaki earlier. He wasn't mad at her for helping to beat Shutoku.

And he can tell, despite the green haired teen never being able to tell what Tamaki is thinking before, that even Tamaki is relieved that Midorima wasn't defeated by Kagami despite Shutoku losing the match. That he wasn't defeated by someone that isn't one of them. In the end, like him, Tamaki is still a member of the ultimate team – the Generation of Miracles.

The sound of shoes squeaking on the rainwater reaches his ears just then. "That is some match back there," said a familiar voice, and Midorima turned around only to see Aomine standing in front of him, holding a dark blue umbrella over his head to shelter himself from the rain.

"You came to watch?" Midorima questioned, and Aomine smirked. "If you came to watch, then you know that I lost. But you should be aware, right? Your next opponent is Seirin. It's Tamaki's school."

"Don't get me wrong." Aomine stated. "No matter what our relationship is now or had been in the past, she is just another opponent when standing on the court. Besides, I'm sure Tamaki wouldn't want me to take it easy on her as well. It'll be an insult to her as a fellow basketball player."

Aomine himself hates it when people aren't playing at their best against him. He isn't about to deal his former partner, and hopefully, future girlfriend, the same insult that most opponents dealt to him.

"Besides, I don't think that Tamaki would be able to play in the match anyway." Midorima told Aomine. "You saw it earlier, right? She sprained her wrist using Cyclone Shot. It isn't anything serious, as it's just a bad sprain. But it definitely won't heal in time for the match. And if that coach of theirs had any brains, she wouldn't make Tamaki play in the next match, or any match and practice at all for the matter. At least until her wrist heals completely."

"I see. Without Tamaki, Seirin is just nothing." Aomine snorted.

"I don't know about that."

"It's not like you."

Midorima sighed. Talking to Aomine always gives him a headache. "But regardless of whether Tamaki will be playing or not, you should be careful in the championship league," he told Aomine. "There is one dangerous guy in Seirin after all."

Aomine raised a dark blue brow at Midorima incredulously. "What? What're you saying?" he questioned. "Gross." He scoffed. "Besides, the only one who can beat me is me alone." He declared.

* * *

_A/N: Well, this chapter is shorter than usual, my sincerest apologies! I'm following the anime storyline more than the manga actually, as the anime is less…longwinded. I'm dreading the end of the anime actually. Here's hoping that we'll get to see a season 2 for it. As for Tamaki and Aomine fluff, you'll see it next chapter._

_As for any possible lemons, I'm not sure about that. They are in high school after all, so yes, hormones might be high. But I won't be taking it to lemon unless I decide otherwise. For one thing, Akashi might and **will** kill Aomine if he learns that they've gone to that stage! _

_Also, regarding my Silent Light story, I'll welcome any suggestions for that too. I have a few ideas in mind, but I'll like to hear your suggestions too. Anyway, expect updates for that story in a few days. I'll be starting my internship tomorrow, so updates might be a tad bit slow._

_The link for the book cover for this story can be found on my bio page, by the way, if you wish to see a larger version of it._

_I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	12. Aomine Daiki

_Tamaki:_ To answer some inquiries regarding Tamaki, yes, her height is still at 168cm, just like Kuroko in canon. And as for her cup size, it's a C. Personality wise, I've been trying to keep to Kuroko's polite way of speaking as much as I could, but it's a little difficult to do so, especially during one of those scenes when she's pissed. Also, about her left hand, like I said, for now, she still can't use it. I'm not sure whether I'm going to make it so she can use her left hand in the future. But for now, she definitely can't use it.

_Book Cover:_ I think you've been looking at the wrong link. The link for the book cover is near the bottom of my bio page, under 'Images Link'. And no, I _didn't_ draw those images.

_Touou versus Seirin:_ Sorry if some of you wants Tamaki to play against Touou for the championship league, but I'm not having her play against them the first time. There are a few reasons for that. One of those reasons is her bad wrist. Another reason is that I think that Kagami needs to face reality too – that he and Seirin can't possibly beat the Generation of Miracles without Tamaki's help.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Twelve: Aomine Daiki**

"_He plays just like how he used to play." - Momoi Satsuki_

**XXXXXX**

"I can't believe just how reckless you have been!" Riko frowned at Tamaki even as the entire Seirin team made their way towards the Rising Sun restaurant. Ever since the first time when they have gone there after their practice game against Kaijo High, the Seirin basketball team have been regulars there, frequenting the restaurant on those days when they have practiced late into the night, and also for their usual celebration wins. "You are lucky that it's just a bad sprain! What do you think will happen if you'd destroyed that hand of yours?"

It had taken the rest of the Seirin basketball team at least ten minutes before they could manage to leave the locker room of the gymnasium where they just had two straight matches against two of the three kings of Tokyo. And even then, some of them were still staggering on their feet rather like zombies. Fukuda and Furihata actually have to carry Kagami part of the way to the restaurant, as the redhead had overdone it during the match against Shutoku, and could barely walk by himself.

"Midorima-kun had already given me quite a lecture. You don't have to add onto it." Tamaki told Riko tiredly. What is it with all the people around her acting like mother hens all of a sudden, or rather, like mama bears? "Yes, I know how stupid it was of me, and yes, I know how reckless I had been."

"Pull a stunt like that again, and I'll be _tripling_ your training, Tamaki-chan." Riko told the teal haired girl dangerously. The faces of the boys behind the coach paled drastically at this. The brunette coach then slid opened the door of the Rising Sun restaurant, immediately causing the warm aroma and delicious smells inside to waft out. "Excuse me!"

There are several customers inside the small restaurant, as they are all currently taking shelter from the rain outside, and more than a few tables had okonomiyaki cooking at it.

"Welcome!" Yuki greeted, face breaking into a warm smile as she recognised Seirin. "Tama-chan! So I've heard about the match from Kise-kun. Congratulations on your win." She told the team. Her face then broke into a small frown as she spotted the bandage around Tamaki's right wrist. "Tama-chan…" She drawled dangerously.

Tamaki nearly groaned. She doesn't need another lecture from her aunt on top of everything! Aunt Yuki can be the nicest person on earth, but she is downright scary when she gets mad! Her cousin definitely didn't get his sadism from his father. "Aunt Yuki, I've already had enough lectures for the day. And yes, I know how stupid I had been!"

Yuki huffed. "Well, I'll save the lectures for later then," she said. She then turned towards the rest of the basketball team. "Well, as you can see, I've got quite a full house here today because of the storm outside. Thus, you might have to separate into different groups…"

Kagami who was looking around the restaurant, marvelling at the number of occupied tables, gawked just then at a table where a certain blonde and his captain were both seated at, both currently feasting on their okonomiyaki. It is a new menu item that Tamaki's aunt had added to her restaurant's menu just last month, and surprisingly, it had turned out pretty popular.

"Kise and Kasamatsu?" Kagami gawked.

"Hey! No honorifics?" Kasamatsu demanded.

"Hey." Kise grinned.

"What are you both doing here?" Kagami demanded.

"Well, as you can see, we're here to eat." Kise said sarcastically, gesturing towards the food on their table. "Furthermore, the Generation of Miracles have always been regulars here ever since our Teiko days."

"Because of Tamaki?" Kagami asked even as Riko, along with most of the team, were led over to the tables on the platform.

"Well, that too…" Kise grinned with amusement. He had guessed as much that Tamaki had never told Seirin that her cousin is the captain of the Generation of Miracles. The teal haired girl had that habit of never talking about something if no one had asked her. "Tamacchi, come sit here!" He called out to the teal haired girl. "There isn't enough seats, right?"

"Then can Kagami-kun come too?"

"Huh?"

* * *

Kasamatsu chewed on his okonomiyaki calmly even as the majority of the Seirin team made their orders at their tables behind him.

Kagami who had somehow ended up sitting beside Kasamatsu twitched as he glared at Kise who is currently sitting next to Tamaki. The blonde doesn't look pleased at sitting at the same table as Kagami.

"Why are we sitting together?" Kise grumbled.

"If we don't eat, they'll burn." Kasamatsu told the three freshmen sitting at the same table as him, and Kise blinked.

"Oh. Right."

"Excuse me!"

The doors to the restaurant slid opened once more, and two rather familiar teens stepped through the doorway, wearing the familiar orange and white basketball jerseys of the Shutoku basketball team.

"Do you have places for two—" Takao Kazunari found his voice stuck in his throat all of a sudden when he saw that the entire Seirin team was also in the same restaurant. His eye twitched, and next to him, Midorima looked annoyed.

"What are you doing here?" Hyuuga spluttered. "Where are the others?"

Takao chuckled nervously upon seeing their opponents from a little less than two hours ago in the same restaurant that they are now in. Midorima had all but dragged him to this restaurant when the green haired teen claimed that he is hungry, and that this place is 'his lucky place', whatever that means. "Well, we lost the upperclassmen while Shin-chan was crying." Takao told Hyuuga, ignoring the red tick on an annoyed Midorima's head. "We figured we might as well get something to eat."

"We're going somewhere else." Midorima told Takao, irritated, turning around and heading back out of the restaurant.

Takao followed the green haired shooter, sliding the door closed behind him. Less than two seconds later, the storm outside seemed to grow even worse, actually causing the door to rattle in the frames. The door slid opened once more, with a drenched Midorima and Takao standing at the doorway, with Midorima not looking too pleased in the least. Even Takao looked somewhat annoyed at being drenched.

Between battling the crazy storm outside that might turn into some kind of typhoon any minute now, and having dinner in the same restaurant as the team that had just beaten them less than two hours ago, the two Shutoku players would rather pick the latter.

Takao muttered something irritable beneath his breath before his eyes widened when he caught sight of Kasamatsu. "Huh? Are you Kaijo's Kasamatsu-san?" Takao asked, stars almost shining in his eyes.

Kasamatsu looked confused. "How did you know?" he asked warily, even as the Shutoku freshman approached his table, with stars shining in his eyes. The Kaijo captain's fangirls-are-near senses are tingling even as he glanced at the Shutoku freshman.

"I saw you in Basketball Monthly! You're nationally famous as a strong point guard!" Takao rambled on like some kind of lovesick schoolgirl, and the three freshmen sitting at the same table as Kasamatsu looked at him weirdly. "As someone who plays the same position, I'd love to hear your stories! Do you mind if we join you? Let's go talk over here." Takao gestured towards an empty table near the Seirin team.

* * *

'_What is this ominous atmosphere? How did this happen?'_ Kise cried to himself inwardly as he somehow found himself sitting at a table with two of his former teammates from middle school – with one whom he isn't exactly on good terms with; and also a basketball rival whom he had acknowledged.

Kasamatsu had somehow been whisked away to a free table by Midorima's chatty teammate, both currently talking nineteen to the dozen, though it should really be Takao the one talking, as Kasamatsu just added his input every now and then. And as all the other tables in the restaurant are full, Midorima somehow found himself occupying Kasamatsu's former seat at their table.

Midorima clearly didn't looked pleased and happy at being forced to sit at a table with the one former teammate whom he had never really gotten along with during middle school, and currently had his arms crossed over his chest. Kagami and Kise meanwhile have equally deadpanned looks on their faces whilst Tamaki looked the same as usual.

"That table is ridiculous!" Hyuuga panicked, almost clutching at his hair. _'There is an explosion just waiting to happen over there!'_

"You wanted this to happen, didn't you?" Kasamatsu asked a grinning Takao who is grinning like the cat that had just caught the canary.

"What? Of course not." Takao smiled innocently.

Tamaki sighed, breaking the uneasy silence that had befallen at their table, with her Seirin seniors watching with interest from their own tables. The teal haired girl privately felt that someone should start to dissolve the ominous atmosphere surrounding their table before something happens. There is an explosion just waiting to occur.

"In any case, why don't you order something?" Tamaki suggested, directing this question to her three seatmates. "You're hungry, aren't you?"

"I'm already pretty full, so I'm fine with what we already have." Kise grinned.

"I'm just surprised that you could eat food that looks like vomit." Midorima said bluntly, and Kise twitched.

"Must you take every opportunity to insult me?" Kise demanded. "And why would you say that?"

Meanwhile, Kagami was reading the menu, and was finally ready to make his order. "Could we get squid balls, pork balls, mixed balls, octopus balls and pork kimichi balls?" he asked the waiter who had came to get their order.

"You're ordering too much!"

"And what incantation or spell are you chanting?" Kise demanded.

"It's all right. Kagami-kun will eat all of it himself." Tamaki reassured the two, having been used to her partner's odd eating habits by this point of time.

"Is he really human?" Kise wanted to know. Eating that much is like eating your last meal before you're sent to the gallows. "Besides, Tamacchi, aren't you ordering?"

"No. I'm fine." Tamaki reassured the blonde. There is no way that she would let them watch her aunt spoon feed her or something! With her right wrist sprained, there is no way that she could feed herself, especially since she can't exactly use her left hand either!

The okonomiyaki was soon sizzling away in front of them, being cooked to a healthy crisp brown colour. Kagami was eating like no tomorrow, stuffing his cheeks rather like a squirrel, and Midorima had a scowl on his face, crossing his arms across his chest.

"I know losing sucks, but come on!" Kise tried to diffuse Midorima's bad mood. Everyone in the Generation of Miracles knew that Midorima is a perfectionist, and simply hates losing. The one time when he lost to Aomine back during second year, he had sulked for a week. "Yesterday's enemies are today's friends!"

"I just lost to them!" Midorima complained like a spoilt child, and he then glared at Kise. "If anything, I can't believe that you have no problem sitting with them." He told Kise. "You already lost to them once."

It's not just Midorima alone. _Everyone_ in the Generation of Miracles had strong pride, and hates losing. It's only a few of them who could handle losing, and use that loss to grow stronger. It just so happens that it's probably only Tamaki at this point of time who could handle a loss. Because let's face it. No one in the Generation of Miracles had ever lost a game before. Tamaki could handle loss, as she almost had to give up playing basketball entirely during her second year.

Kise smirked at Midorima's words. "Well… I'll get my revenge at the Inter High, of course," he said cheerfully, yet with confidence in his tone. Kagami who had an okonomiyaki halfway to his mouth stared at the blonde, and Tamaki smiled in amusement. "I won't lose next time." He told Kagami.

"Heh. Bring it on." Kagami grinned.

Midorima studied Kise for several moments without saying anything. "Kise, you've changed a little," he finally said, much to the blonde's confusion. "Your eyes… They're strange." Midorima said slowly, much to Kise's chagrin.

"Maybe it's because I've started practicing more since we played against Tamacchi." Kise said slowly, looking at the Seirin table where Riko is currently giving Koganei a piece of her mind for nearly flipping the okonomiyaki onto her head. "Also, lately I've been thinking that it's pretty fun playing basketball with the guys from Kaijo." He smiled.

Tamaki had all but forced him to find a love for basketball back during second year before actually training him after all. To start with, Kise only started playing basketball because of a certain ace. But when he found that he actually liked playing basketball, his skills only grew in leaps and bounds.

Midorima sighed. "It seems I was mistaken," he said, taking a piece of the okonomiyaki currently still cooking with his chopsticks. "You have not changed at all. You have simply reverted back to your old self before we were the champions of three consecutive championships." He said, chewing on the okonomiyaki, ignoring the chaos that is Takao behind him, apparently showing off his okonomiyaki flipping skills to Kasamatsu. _'Well, he isn't the only one who had changed.'_ The green haired shooter mused, glancing at Tamaki who looked quite amused at Kagami's weird eating habits.

Kise chuckled at Midorima's words. It is true that he had found basketball a lot more relaxing and fun ever since Tamaki had beaten him. He even found himself smiling more often whenever playing with his teammates. Not one of those fake smiles when posing for the camera or for his fangirls, but a real genuine smile. It's like middle school all over again.

"But we were all like that back then." Tamaki reminded Midorima. In the first place, they only started playing basketball because they liked it. They wouldn't have gotten this good in the first place, even becoming known as the Generation of Miracles if it hadn't been for them actually liking this sport in the first place.

Midorima grunted, not wanting to admit that Tamaki is right. "How you change is up to you," he said. "However, I am not playing basketball to have fun."

Kagami with his cheeks still bulging with food decided to cut in just then. "You guys think too much," he commented. "Of course we play basketball because it's fun."

"What did you say?" Midorima grew offended at Kagami's words. "How dare you speak like you understand when you know nothing at all—"

_Splat!_

Tamaki blinked slowly as an okonomiyaki flew from out of nowhere, landing neatly atop Midorima's head. The teal haired girl looked over the clearly pissed green haired shooter's shoulder only to see a stunned and albeit amused looking Kasamatsu, with a frightened looking Takao with a pair of spatulas in his hands. Clearly, Takao must have been the one responsible for the 'magic flying okonomiyaki'.

'_Uh oh.'_ Tamaki thought to herself in amusement. _'Midorima-kun looks as if he is going to snap.'_

A red tick nearly popped out on Midorima's head, and he twitched in anger, seemingly oblivious to Kise's amused look and Kagami's surprised one. "Anyway, we can talk about that later," said Midorima, ignoring the fact that he currently had an okonomiyaki atop his head, with the fillings running down his neck. He then got up from his seat. "Takao, come here."

"Sorry! Sorry!" Takao chuckled nervously even as Midorima grabbed him by the back of his jersey and dragged him outside the restaurant. And considering the fact that Midorima is a good two heads taller than the black haired teen, any struggle that Takao put up is meaningless. "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!"

The door slammed shut behind the two Shutoku players, and everyone winced as they heard a loud scream from Takao.

"May the Lord have mercy for his soul." Tamaki murmured, and Kise chuckled nervously.

"Anyway, hearing what Kagamicchi had said sure brings back some memories," said the blonde, ignoring Kagami's indignant shout of 'don't call me Kagamicchi!' "I remembered that during second year of middle school, Tamacchi got mad at me as I'm playing basketball rather like a robot. You even told me to come back only once I found a love for the sport." He grinned at Tamaki who smiled back. "But come to think of it, probably, we, the Generation of Miracles only got as good as we are now because we love the sport." He smirked, resting his chin on his hand.

The restaurant door slid opened once more, and Midorima walked in calmly, minus Takao and the okonomiyaki on his head. "Kagami, let me tell you one thing," said the green haired shooter even as he retrieved both his and Takao's bags. "There are two members of the Generation of Miracles in Tokyo, not including Tamaki." He told the redhead. Tamaki suddenly felt as if she knew where Midorima is going with this conversation. "Myself, and a man named Aomine Daiki. You will face him in the championship league. And he is the same type of player as you."

Kagami's eyes widened, and when he turned towards Tamaki for an explanation, he was surprised to find that Tamaki looked worried. Kise looked concerned as well. "What? I don't really get it, but he's strong, right?" he asked.

It is obvious only to Kise and Tamaki, but Midorima looked a tad bit concerned at those words. Strong, huh? 'Strong' isn't a word that one would use to describe the strength of the ace of the Generation of Miracles.

"Well, you can say that." Kise sighed, looking at Tamaki with concern. _'If Kagamicchi is Tamacchi's 'light' in the present, then Aominecchi is Tamacchi's 'light' during our time as the Generation of Miracles.' _He thought.

"How strong is he compared to say…both of you?" Kagami asked, and Midorima looked annoyed at being compared to Aomine. But even the green haired shooter knew that he could not possibly beat Aomine at present. That's the guy who had beaten him when they were both freshmen, even before they have became known as the Generation of Miracles, and have became as strong as they are now.

"You'll soon learn once you meet him." Tamaki said darkly. "That is if you can even comprehend the definition of strength."

"Is he that strong?" Kagami asked in surprise. He had never heard Tamaki use that tone of voice before.

"Strong isn't a term used to describe Aominecchi," said Kise slowly. "But yes, he's strong. But his basketball style…" He trailed off, glancing at Tamaki.

"And besides, Tamaki won't be able to help you during your match against him this time." Midorima warned Kagami, glancing at Tamaki's bandaged wrist. "She'll be out of commission for a month at least. And out of all of us, much as I hate to admit it, Aomine is the only one whom you will definitely need Tamaki's help for, in order to defeat him."

"Huh? I don't get it!" Kagami complained.

Midorima said nothing before placing down two 1000 yen bills on the table to pay for his share of the food. "Well, do your best," he told Kagami. "You're going to need some luck if you hope to beat Aomine without Tamaki's help."

**XXXXXX**

Yuki closed up Rising Sun as the last customer left the restaurant, also putting up the 'Closed' sign outside on the door. She then took off the dark blue apron that she wore over her clothes. The two waiters that she'd hired were currently busy cleaning the tables and chairs, and also cleaning the floor, preparing to take the dirty dishes into the kitchen to wash them.

"What did you do this time to yourself, Tama-chan?" Yuki asked with exasperation, taking a bowl of egg over rice towards the table where Tamaki is sitting at. The teal haired girl had remained behind after her teammates have left. "No, don't even bother answering. I swear, between yourself and Sei-chan, you both are out to give me heart attacks." She grumbled, blowing gently on the spoon to cool down the food before feeding Tamaki. "By the way, Sei-chan said that he has to head back to Kyoto early tonight because of the storm. He's a little worried that the train service might be suspended because of the storm." Tamaki nodded. "It brings back memories, feeding you like this." Yuki smiled. "Of the time when both you and Sei-chan are little, and I used to feed you both like this." She then turned serious. "Are you going to tell your team that you can't use your left hand?"

Tamaki shook her head. "I don't plan to tell them. Not unless they figured it out for themselves, that is," she said. She looked sad. "I don't want to see the same look on their faces that I see on everyone else back then."

Yuki sighed. "Tama-chan, I swear that you're as stubborn as your father and Sei-chan!" she groaned. "Well, you and Sei-chan have both grown up now." She smiled albeit sadly. "Like how I won't ask why your friends from middle school have nearly stopped coming over, and why you have all gone to separate high schools, I won't press this issue." The door to the restaurant slid opened just then. "Sorry, but we're closed for the night—" Yuki then looked surprised as she saw a certain tanned basketball player standing there at the doorway.

"Evening, Yuki-san." Aomine Daiki bowed to Yuki awkwardly, scratching the back of his head. His eyes then softened as he laid eyes on Tamaki who smiled back gently.

Yuki smiled at this. Like most women, she is a romantic at heart. When her son and niece were both still in middle school, she used to be quite amused at how whenever Tamaki would talk about the basketball team, majority of it was always about one person. And whenever Aomine would come over, the way that he used to look at Tamaki was just like the way that her older brother used to look whenever he was talking about his then girlfriend.

The red haired woman knew that something had happened between her niece and Aomine during their third year in Teiko. She respected her children's privacy and never asked about it, as her son looked really angry whenever she so much as asked why Aomine had stopped coming over so much, and why the basketball team have decided to split to different high schools.

"Aomine-kun…" Tamaki muttered.

Yuki smiled as she got up. "Well, I'll leave you two alone," she said, retreating back into the kitchen to help her staff to wash the dishes for the next day.

Aomine scratched the back of his head before he sat down at the table, and took the bowl of egg over rice in his hand, taking over the feeding business. "You're too reckless," he told Tamaki. "I almost got a heart attack when I saw you using the Cyclone Shot. Akashi looks as if he is about to faint when he saw you using it."

Tamaki smiled. "So you were there," she said, and Aomine nodded. There was silence between the two for several moments before Tamaki broke it. "This brings back memories." She smiled a small smile. "I fed you like this once too, back in middle school when you almost broke your hand punching Haizaki-kun's nose."

Aomine looked sour at the mention of the former fifth player. "It's not my fault. He's the bastard who laid a hand on you," he said, recalling the time during their second year when almost all the regulars caught Haizaki in the locker room, about to force himself on Tamaki.

That was the first time that he had seen Akashi so angry. The redhead looked ready to stab Haizaki with his scissors then and there. That was the last straw that Akashi could take. Two days later, the Teiko captain had kicked Haizaki out of the team, and had put Kise in the position of the fifth player.

And no one in the team is suicidal enough to even talk about Haizaki after that.

* * *

"I'll walk you home." Aomine told Tamaki as the two left the restaurant. The rain had long stopped, but the roads were still slippery.

Tamaki nodded, her lips quirking. There was silence between the two for several moments as they took the familiar route back to Tamaki's house. It was like middle school all over again. Aomine had always been the one to walk Tamaki home, despite Kise volunteering majority of the time.

"I miss this, you know?" Aomine said at last, not looking at Tamaki. "Us, I mean. You were the only one who understands me. We didn't have anything in common at all. Yet we just work so well when it comes to basketball."

"But everything changed." Tamaki told him.

Aomine sighed. "Yeah. Everything changed," he echoed.

A soft bark reaches their ears just then, and the two teens exchanged bewildered looks, wondering just where that bark had came from. At this time of night, and just after a heavy storm?

"Is that a dog's bark? Where is it coming from?" Aomine wondered, looking in several different directions at once.

Tamaki who had always been more observant than anyone else soon spotted the cardboard box tucked away in a corner, the cardboard already soaked through with the rain. A small little husky sat in the cardboard box, soaked through with the rain, barking sadly. The small dog's top coat is black whilst the fur on his tummy and legs are snow white, with two white spots for eyebrows.

"Ah man, this little guy is soaked through!" Aomine exclaimed as he squatted down before the dog, running his fingers through the wet fur. The dog barked at him sadly. "There are still people these days who abandon their dogs? What should we do?"

"I'm taking him home with me," said Tamaki immediately, picking up the little dog, careful not to hurt her right hand whilst doing so, and tucking it within her jacket to give the small dog some warmth, as it is apparent that the dog is freezing, especially with the recent storm. "We'll decide afterwards."

* * *

"Man, who would be so heartless as to abandon a small dog like that in the middle of a storm?" Aomine wanted to know ten minutes later in Tamaki's house, watching Tamaki drying the small dog's coat with a towel that she had with her, the little husky lying between her legs. The dog is clearly only a puppy, maybe only a few months old, and he seems awfully friendly with strangers, particularly with how quickly that he had taken to both Aomine and Tamaki. "What should we do with him?"

Tamaki was silent for several moments as she patted the little dog on the head, and the husky licked her hand. The teal haired girl smiled at the dog. "I want to keep him," she said.

Somehow, Aomine isn't surprised at this answer, as he knew that Tamaki has a liking for cute animals. Besides, this dog can keep Tamaki company at night as well, since she lives alone. "What are you going to name him?" The tanned teen asked, rubbing the top of the dog's head gently. He would have liked to keep this dog as well, if his mother isn't allergic to dogs, that is.

"Aomine-kun, what do you suggest?"

"Me?" Aomine frowned. "Tamago?" He suggested.

Tamaki's lips twitched, and the dog whined. "What's that naming sense?" The teal haired girl asked, trying not to laugh. "You're naming a dog after an egg?"

"Isn't it okay?" Aomine grinned, happy that he finally got to hear Tamaki laugh. "Or…" Aomine lifted the small husky gently, turning the dog around to face the teal haired girl. "Aoi?" He suggested. He looked closely at the dog's blue eyes. "His eyes remind me of yours." He added.

"Aoi, huh?" Tamaki mused, smiling as she took the newly christened Aoi back from Aomine. "That's a good name, coming from you."

Aomine chuckled. "Well, I should get going," he said, glancing at his watch. "It's getting late. It's too bad that we can't get to play against each other during the championship league." _'But maybe it is for the best too.'_ He thought.

"I want you to promise me, though," said Tamaki, seeing him off at her front door, Aoi nestled near her feet. "Don't challenge Kagami-kun." Aomine felt a twitch appear in his right eye. He is starting to get real annoyed at this Kagami guy whom he always hears Tamaki talk about. And he decided that he didn't like the _looks_ that the redhead had given Tamaki during the match earlier. "He's still injured after all. It won't be a fair duel."

'_Just what do you see in him anyway?'_ Aomine thought annoyed, even as he put his shoes on, and waved goodbye to Tamaki, patting a very happy Aoi on the head. _'Is he really that good?'_

**XXXXXX**

"Make sure you pay more attention to stretching than usual." Riko ordered the basketball team, dressed in a red and orange sports bra and dark red shorts. "We'll start with squats."

It was nearly a week after their match with Shutoku and Seiho, and the team was back to their training sessions, only with the difficulty of those sessions upped by Riko, as they're currently preparing for the championship league after all.

During their first training after the match against Shutoku, Aoi had somehow followed Tamaki all the way to the school, scaring the hell out of Kagami who apparently had a great fear of dogs. Unfortunately however, the rest of the team had instantly fallen in love with the adorable little puppy, and has no objection whatsoever at having the puppy remain in their clubroom whilst they are in class.

Right now, the entire team was currently in the indoor swimming pool of the gym belonging to Riko's father, with Riko managing to get permission for the usage of the pool just to train her team. Hence why the entire basketball team was here early in the morning on a Saturday. Tamaki and Kagami however, were the only two not in the pool like the rest of the team, with Riko coming up with this unusual training method to train their muscles.

Kagami because his legs are still injured, and Tamaki because her right wrist is still injured. Tamaki's injury is also part of the reason why Riko had seemingly turned into a demon during their basketball training sessions, as they won't be able to rely on Tamaki for their next match. Midorima Shintaro of Shutoku and Kise Ryota of Kaijo would both skin them alive if they put Tamaki in for the next match with her wrist being _this_ badly hurt.

Hence why Tamaki is currently seated on the bench with Kagami next to her, with Aoi resting on her lap. The redhead had scooted to the end of the bench as far as he could the moment that the puppy had crawled onto Tamaki's lap. As it is currently summer, Tamaki is currently wearing a light blue shirt with a white hoodie over it, and black shorts. Kagami is pretty much also dressed in a black shirt and pants.

Tamaki watched as the team performed squats whilst being in the pool, with Riko supervising them. Riko had told both Tamaki and Kagami that even though they can't play, she still wants them present at the training sessions, as they could still learn something out of it.

"Okay, take a one minute break!" Riko ordered, much to the team's relief.

"These pool exercises are tough." Izuki sighed, trying to catch his breath back.

Kagami sulked as Riko announced the end of the one minute break, and the team went back to their training. "Come on, watching can be considered a type of training too, you know?" Tamaki told her partner, understanding his mood perfectly well. She's pretty much in the same position too. Ever since the incident back in second year, Tamaki had been pretty careful to let her injuries heal completely before playing again.

"I just want to play." Kagami sulked like a child that didn't get his way.

"What are you, a kid?" Tamaki sighed, and Aoi barked on her lap, making a sound that sounded almost like he's laughing at Kagami, much to the redhead's chagrin. The puppy then started wriggling, wanting to get down, and Tamaki then placed the puppy down on the floor near her feet where he sat on his haunches, his tail wagging merrily, watching the basketball team training.

"What a cute dog," a voice commented just then, and everyone turned towards the speaker who turned out to be a well endowed pink haired girl wearing a green bikini set with a white jacket over it. The boys in the pool almost got a nose bleed when they saw the girl.

"Satsuki?" Tamaki sounded surprised to see her best friend from her middle school days. She hasn't seen the pink haired girl since Teiko after all, though they do call each other up often, and even had online chats every now and then.

"Uh, who are you?" Riko asked, confused.

"I came to find Tamaki-chan." Satsuki told Riko with a smile. "And I just couldn't wait until the championship league. After all, I hadn't seen her since middle school."

"She was my manager in middle school." Tamaki answered Riko's unasked question. "And also my best friend."

'_Teiko's…'_ Hyuuga's thoughts trailed off as he realised that this cute girl is the manager of such a formidable team like Teiko. Much like Tamaki, the Seirin captain realised that despite how cute she looks, he definitely can't underestimate her if she is the manager of a team like Teiko.

'_The championship league?'_ Riko wondered. _'Are we up against her school next?'_

"Tamaki-chan!" Satsuki ran to Tamaki, throwing her arms around the teal haired girl's neck. "It's been such a long time! I missed you!" She wailed, almost throttling the smaller girl. "And what were you thinking by using the Cyclone Shot during your match against Midorin?" She demanded, glancing down at the bandaged right wrist, releasing her hold on Tamaki. "What if you can't play basketball ever again?"

"I already got the lectures from Midorima-kun and Sei, so you don't have to tell me how stupid I've been." Tamaki sighed. "I _know."_

"_Don't try to sneak glances at her!"_ Riko roared just then, and Tamaki and Satsuki both turned just in time to see Riko suddenly gain Herculean strength, and all but threw Hyuuga into the pool. Aoi merely looked at Hyuuga with a semi amused look on his doggy face.

"You'll kill Hyuuga-san!" Satsuki protested.

"Huh?" Hyuuga was surprised, nursing the bruise on his cheek. "How do you know my name?"

'_Ah right.'_ Tamaki suddenly remembered one of the reasons why she was concerned about Seirin's upcoming match against Touou even as Satsuki began rattling off the names and positions of her teammates. _'Satsuki is no ordinary manager. She is an expert in data collection and analyzing, much like myself. She isn't a basketball player, but that doesn't mean that she doesn't love the sport any less. It's thanks to her that we managed to beat several of the teams back during our Teiko days, especially during freshman year.'_

Tamaki covered her bandaged right wrist with her left hand, watching even as the fingers of her left hand twitched slightly. She had never felt so useless in her life during that one week when she can't even perform the simplest tasks for herself. She had been lucky that her teachers at school were pretty understanding, and gave her allowances for homework, on the condition that her results don't fall below what she's getting currently, as Tamaki is currently in the top ten of her year level.

"Satsuki." Tamaki cut in as her coach freaked out, with Satsuki teasing the brunette girl about her cup size.

Tamaki knew that Riko had always been a little self conscious about her own body, given the fact that most girls are generally more developed than the brunette. Hell, even Tamaki herself is more developed than Riko who is a year her senior, with the teal haired girl being a C cup. Hence why Tamaki tried not to wear any revealing clothing if possible, and even dressed in a shirt and hoodie right now when she learned that they are heading to the pool for a training session.

As for Satsuki, well, she's the most developed girl that Tamaki knew of, with her bust size being an F cup at least. The pink haired girl had been the envy of several girls during their Teiko days. That, and the fact that she got to hang out with all the cute boys on the basketball team.

"I heard about it from you during the first week of school, but did you really go to Aomine-kun's school?" Tamaki asked her best friend.

Kagami, along with the rest of Seirin, paid rapt attention the moment that the name of one of the Generation of Miracles had passed Tamaki's lips. After Midorima had mentioned Aomine's name in the restaurant nearly a week ago, all of Seirin had been badgering Tamaki about the said ace, but Tamaki never said anything about him at all.

Satsuki had a sad smile on her face. "Yeah," she nodded. She walked over to the little puppy currently sitting on his haunches near the bench that Kagami is occupying. "I really did want to go to your school, like what I'd told you at Graduation Day." She told Tamaki, squatting down to the ground. "But who knows what he'll do if I don't watch him?"

Tamaki looked sad.

"You're the only one whom he even listens to now, Tamaki-chan." Satsuki told Tamaki, much to the Seirin team's confusion. "Ever since third year, he doesn't even listen to the captain or even the coach. You're the only one whom he even listens to."

"That's true." Tamaki admitted. "But when it comes to basketball, he won't even listen to me any longer. Satsuki, you know this too. He's grown too strong for his own good." She smiled sadly.

Seirin exchanged looks amongst themselves. Just what had happened between Tamaki and this Aomine Daiki person? Some of the sharper members like Izuki, Hyuuga and Riko knew enough, judging by Satsuki's sad expression and Tamaki's answers, that probably, Tamaki and this Aomine person aren't just normal teammates.

Satsuki laughed as she studied Aoi, with the puppy staring back at the pink haired girl. "So this is the famous Aoi," she said. "His eyes really look like yours, Tamaki-chan." She reached out a hand to pat the puppy, but Aoi turned his head away, his nose in the air. "What's wrong?" She asked the puppy. The pink haired girl laughed. "He's so cute!"

* * *

Kagami found himself at a nearby street basketball court with a spare basketball, despite Riko's orders to both himself and Tamaki to _not_ play until their injuries have healed. Kagami's injury isn't as bad as Tamaki's, and hence, he should be back to full health within a few days if he just rest up properly. Tamaki however, will be out of commission for a month at least.

'_But Tamaki… Just what had happened between her and this Aomine person?'_ Kagami wondered, not really paying attention to his surroundings as he dribbled the ball.

The redhead isn't the sharpest person in the world, and he isn't called 'Bakagami' for nothing either. But even he will notice it if all the Generation of Miracles whom he'd met so far warned him to be careful of Aomine, and the way that Tamaki looks whenever someone mentions his name. Kagami also remembered the first time when Tamaki had first talked about the Generation of Miracles.

_Tamaki said nothing. "It isn't something that you can understand from my words alone. It is something that you'll understand only if you were there too," she said. "Slowly, **they** changed. **He** changed." Tamaki's voice shook. "It came to such a point that I truly **detested** basketball." Kagami blinked in surprise. "The sound of the balls… The sounds of sneakers squeaking on the courts… The swishes of the net… I really hate all of that." Tamaki admitted. "And by the time that we're in our third year, I can honestly say that no one on Teiko loves playing basketball anymore." She stood up from her seat, her hands shaking slightly, but Kagami didn't notice it. **"They** changed. But more importantly of all, **he** changed the most."_

'_Was this Aomine person the 'he' that Tamaki was talking about?'_ Kagami wondered. He didn't like the sad look that had appeared on Tamaki's face whenever she talked about this Aomine person. After playing this long with Tamaki, even Kagami will be able to tell the change of expressions on her face by now, and whether she is sad or happy.

"Hey."

Kagami turned around at that voice only to see a tanned boy with dark blue hair and eyes, wearing a white sleeveless shirt and a white hoodie over it, with dark green cargo pants. But somehow, something about this guy pisses him off. Maybe it's because of the arrogant air surrounding this guy, with the air screaming 'I'm better than you!'

"You're Kagami Taiga, right?" The boy smirked at him. "Play with me. I'll test you."

'_Huh?'_ was the only thought running through Kagami's head right now. _'What is that supposed to mean?' _"Who the hell are you?" he demanded. "I don't take kindly to guys who tell me to play them without even telling me their names."

Aomine Daiki snorted. "I'm not asking how you feel. If I tell you to play, you play," he said, pissing Kagami off. "I'll humour you and tell you my name at least." He grinned at Kagami. "It's Aomine Daiki."

Kagami's eyes widened at that name. "Aomine?" He stared at Aomine. "I've heard about you from Midorima, Kise and Tamaki." He told the tanned boy. A flash of some unknown emotion flashed across his eyes so quickly that it was gone before Kagami even knew it. "But you can't expect me to just say yes when you talk down to me like—"

Aomine broke into an amused chuckle. "Come on, now! That's why I said that I'm not asking, didn't I?" he told Kagami. "Shut up and play. No one's expecting a real match. I told you, I'm testing you." Kagami twitched with barely restrained fury. "I'm not looking for someone that doesn't exist, like a stronger player than myself. I just want to know how much you can do to relieve my boredom."

There was silence for several moments before Kagami spoke again, sounding as if he is barely holding his anger in. "From Kise to Midorima, apart from Tamaki, the Generation of Miracles is just full of guys who piss me off!" Kagami growled, and Aomine's eyes flashed at the mention of Tamaki's name. "But you're exceptional even among them." An imaginary fire almost appeared around Kagami's body. "I'll crush you!"

* * *

"It's really been such a long time." Satsuki smiled, sitting on the bench next to Tamaki, with the rest of Seirin retreating elsewhere to give the two girls some privacy. "How's your hand?"

Tamaki was silent. "Still the same," she admitted. There was silence for awhile. "How's Aomine-kun doing in your school?"

Satsuki looked sad at this. "I still prefer the Dai-chan that used to play basketball with you in middle school," she admitted. "The Dai-chan that approached me during freshman year, asking me to become the team manager and temporary coach. But then he started playing basketball all by himself, isolating himself from the rest of the team. I thought that losing would change him, but he never did. Even by himself, no one can stop him. And Dai-chan… He stopped smiling after second year. Basketball started to grow boring to him. And then… When he came back after visiting you all those months ago, Dai-chan started smiling again." Satsuki smiled at her best friend. "If there is anyone whom he would listen to, it's Tamaki-chan."

Tamaki stared at her left wrist. "If he would listen to me, he would have done so back in Teiko," she said at last. "And things would not have come to this today. Aomine-kun isn't the only one who had changed, Satsuki. You know this. _Everyone_ changed. Aomine-kun isn't the only reason why I left."

"It still doesn't change the fact that you are the one person whom he cherished the most. You are the only one whom he will listen to." Satsuki said with a sad smile. "He all but went berserk when you vanished. But no matter how hard he looked, he could never find you." There was silence for several moments. "I've seen the match, you know? Your match against Midorin." She admitted. "Kagami-kun, right? He's a lot like the Dai-chan in the past. It kind of reminds me of the past." She laughed.

Tamaki said nothing to that. It is true that she had found several similarities between Kagami and Aomine that it often made her wonder if Kagami will be how Aomine will turn out to be if he hadn't started hating basketball. Even the way that they both reacted to something that they feared – by going to a corner in crouch position with their hands covering their ears, are similar to each other.

"Will he change?" Tamaki asked Satsuki at last. "If someone defeats Aomine-kun, will he change?" Satsuki looked bewildered at this. More than anyone else, it is Satsuki and Tamaki who understood Aomine's strength the best. "I know Aomine-kun's strength. More than anyone else, I know just how powerful he is." Satsuki looked sad. Of course Tamaki would know his strength better than anyone else. "I promised Aomine-kun once that someday, someone stronger than him will appear. Someone strong enough to be his rival. I intend to fulfil that promise." Tamaki looked at Satsuki. "I will beat Aomine-kun. I promise that."

* * *

Kagami panted heavily, sweat drenching his brow, with his legs shaking uncontrollably.

The redhead simply can't believe the strength of this guy in front of him. He now knew that Midorima, Kise and even Tamaki aren't exaggerating when they said that he is strong. Hell, strong shouldn't even be a term used to describe him! He is a monster!

"This is ridiculous." Aomine scoffed. "Did you really beat Midorima?"

"You bastard…" Kagami growled.

"Ah right. Because Tamaki was there too." Aomine realised. "And if so, Tamaki's judgment must be clouded." He scowled fiercely at Kagami. "And don't think that I hadn't noticed you staring at her." He growled, much to Kagami's confusion. "You can't draw out her full potential. Her current style requires her to be a 'shadow'. And the stronger the light, the darker the shadow. In other words, she becomes stronger or weaker depending on the strength of the light." He then moved past Kagami before the redhead even realises what is going on.

'_W-What?'_ Kagami thought in shock. _'When did he…?'_

The only person whom he knew could move that fast is only Tamaki.

"Your light is too dim." Aomine told Kagami with a scoff. "I just don't know what Tamaki sees in you. Someone like you isn't the right person to bring out the best of Tamaki's ability."

**XXXXXX**

Aomine Daiki was very surprised when he exited the park only to see Tamaki waiting for him, with a displeased expression on her face, Aoi at her feet, wagging his tail happily at Aomine. To anyone else, Tamaki would have looked the same as usual, but for Aomine who had been her partner for three years, he can tell her moods apart by now.

"Tamaki." Aomine muttered. He suddenly had a feeling that he'd done something _very_ wrong.

"You challenged Kagami-kun, didn't you?" Tamaki accused, and Aomine winced. Like Akashi, Tamaki seems to have that freaky psychic ability of knowing things before it had even happened. "I told you not to, didn't I? He's still injured!"

"Even with his injury, he can't be that great!" Aomine scoffed. "How many times did you get injured during your matches with him? If he can't even do something as simple as protect his own partner, then he can't be that great."

Tamaki almost groaned. _That's_ what this is about? "To start with, basketball had been a rough sport," she told Aomine. "My injuries are my own fault. It wasn't Kagami-kun's fault, and neither was it Kise-kun's fault or even Midorima-kun's fault that I got injured during my matches against them. I made my own decisions, knowing the consequences for it."

"Anyway, to start with, just what did you see in him anyway?" Aomine snapped. "He isn't even that good! He only beat Midorima and Kise because _you_ were there! He can't even hope to beat us if you weren't even there!"

"Why are you so angry?" Tamaki was bewildered, and even confused. She had never seen Aomine flip out like this before. Hell, he had never lost his temper once, period. She could only count two times when Aomine got pissed: once when Haizaki tried to force himself on her during second year; and the second when Hanamiya had destroyed her hand during the Winter Cup match of their second year.

Aomine glared at her. "After three years, you still _don't_ get it?" he almost growled.

And before Tamaki even realises what is going on, she felt a pair of warm moist lips on her own, and her eyes widened in shock when she realised that she is being kissed. And by Aomine Daiki of all people.

Almost as soon as it had begun, Aomine broke the kiss, and released his hold on Tamaki who staggered backwards, almost falling had it not been for the fence that she had been leaning against earlier while waiting for Aomine. Aoi whined at her feet, but both teens barely noticed the puppy's presence.

"W-What—" Tamaki touched her lips with her fingertips that are still warm from the kiss from earlier. And for once, she is speechless, with her brain almost shutting down. What just happened?

Aomine looked pissed, and embarrassed as well, judging by the light flush on his cheeks, visible even on his tanned skin. "There! That's why I was so pissed off! You get it now?" The blue haired boy shouted, trying to cover up his own embarrassment. "I was jealous of that Kagami guy! Because he was always by your side, yet he let you get hurt time and again! I was pissed because I love you, you idiot! You're an analyzer, yet why can't you see it? Read the damn signs!"

He then stomped off, leaving a stunned and shocked Tamaki near the entrance of the park, still wondering what had just happened.

Did Aomine Daiki really just tell her that…he loved her? And did he really just kiss her?

Tamaki felt her legs grow weak, and she crouched down to the ground. Aoi whined, padding up to her, nudging at her leg with his nose. Tamaki patted the puppy on the head, and Aoi barked happily at his owner, wagging his tail merrily.

"What just happened?" Tamaki asked, dazed. "Aomine-kun… Did he just kiss me?" She blushed at the mere memory of it. "Aoi, what should I do?"

Aoi whined.

* * *

_A/N: Sorry, I know that I promised you a date chapter with Aomine for this chapter, but looks like it will be the next chapter instead. And I promise, the next chapter will be longer than this one. I realise that Tamaki and even Aomine might be a little OOC in this chapter, but seriously, I do think that this might be how they would have reacted._

_Also, Akashi will appear in the next chapter, along with the rest of the GoM for the date chapter. Suggestions for date places, people? I'm open for suggestions for this one, and what you want to happen. I've also been listening to the Pan's Labyrinth OST when I was writing the scene with Satsuki, and it makes me feel sad too._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	13. It's a Date!

_Date places:_ Funny that most of you suggested the same places – aquarium, park or amusement park. Well, I've decided on the date location, you just have to see WHERE it is in this chapter.

_Hanamiya, Operation Revenge: _I have my own plans for this bastard, so you just have to wait and see what I had in mind for him. Kiyoshi will come in after the match with Touou, and no, Seirin won't know that Tamaki already had encounters with Hanamiya until just before a certain match.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Thirteen: It's a Date!**

"_It is Aomine-kun who is the first among us to bloom sooner and more suddenly." - Kuroko Tamaki_

**XXXXXX**

Two days after the park 'incident', Tamaki could not concentrate on anything _at all._

It is fortunate for her that she had been excused from both basketball training and the upcoming championship league match in two weeks' time because of her wrist injury, otherwise, Riko is bound to double or triple the teal haired girl's training, with how distracted that she had been of late.

Aomine had all but fallen off the face of the earth after that 'incident' as well. And no amount of calls or texts would make Aomine respond to her. Tamaki knew Aomine well enough to know that he is the type to run and hide when he does something that he feels is stupid or embarrassing, and wouldn't resurface again until someone goes and drags him out.

As such, Tamaki is barely listening to what Riko was telling the rest of the team, with the competing lists of the championship league in the hands of every single member. Kagami wasn't there yet, since he is up for cleaning duty that week. Aoi as usual was present as well, cuddling close to his owner, with Tamaki currently seated atop the stage. Aoi is currently dressed in a Seirin Number 16 jersey that Riko had made for the adorable little puppy.

"Hey guys! The names of all the schools appearing in the championship league are out!" Riko told Seirin. "As you can see, A block is us, B block is Touou Academy, C block is Meisei, and D block is Senshinkan. These four schools will compete to represent our region."

Tamaki tuned out the rest of her teammates as she studied the league list carefully. _'So it's the next match,'_ she mused. _'We'll be up against Touou, and Aomine-kun. Will it be all right?' _She wondered, glancing at her bandaged right wrist.

It is much better than when she had first injured it, in which she can at least start writing and such with her right hand, but not anymore than that. Tamaki had been lucky that she didn't break her wrist or something, as the Cyclone Shot is a dangerous move, not meant to be performed by a player whose body isn't developed enough yet.

"Even if we lose to Momoi-chan and Aomine, if we beat the others…"

Tamaki looked up as Koganei mentioned Satsuki and Aomine's names. The cat-like teen looked rather excited, whilst Hyuuga looks rather annoyed at his teammate.

"Satsuki and Aomine-kun doesn't attend Senshinkan," said Tamaki, and everyone turned towards the usually silent girl. It isn't really visible to anyone at present, but Tamaki is worried about their upcoming match, especially since it is obvious that she is in no state to play. "They attend Touou Academy!"

"What?"

The entire team was shocked. Riko was the only one who didn't look surprised, and knowing their coach, Tamaki is sure that Riko must have gone and checked up on Satsuki and Aomine after the pink haired girl's visit to them a couple of days earlier.

"I thought all the Generation of Miracles went to well-known schools!" Koganei protested, conveniently forgetting the fact that Seirin had in fact acquired a member of the Generation of Miracles as well, and they're not exactly a well-known team.

"I thought for sure that he would have gone to a strong team like Midorima." Izuki added.

"That's unheard of." Hyuuga frowned.

"Their history isn't impressive, but they've been putting energy into their scouting efforts lately, recruiting promising athletes from all over the country." Riko told the team. "In the last few years, they've rapidly gained power, and this year's line up is comparable to Shutoku's."

"We might be in trouble with the match against Touou." Tamaki said seriously, and everyone turned towards the teal haired girl. "Aomine-kun is dangerous. He is insanely strong. I can't exactly describe to you his level of strength. It is something that you'll understand only if you see it for yourself."

Aoi whined by her side.

**XXXXXX**

"Daiki! What's gotten into you?" His mother demanded, glaring at her son that is currently sprawled over the kitchen table. "You're acting almost like an idiot for the past two days, though that is nothing new." She mumbled the last part beneath her breath. "Had a fight with Tamaki-chan?"

Aomine's mother had always been very fond of the teal haired girl ever since the first time when Satsuki, Aomine and Tamaki have first came over to Aomine's house during their first year to help the tanned boy study for the mid-terms. Aomine and Tamaki have always been close ever since freshman year, and it didn't help that they've been in the same class for all three years of middle school.

Aomine's mother is unusually perceptive when it comes to her son, and could immediately tell that her son had the biggest crush on the teal haired girl, but was too much of a coward to tell said girl. And when Aomine and Tamaki have drifted apart during third year, Aomine's mother had been unusually pushy then, wondering why Tamaki had stopped coming over so much, and even why is it that she had chosen to attend a different high school.

"I…did something stupid." Aomine mumbled into the surface of the wooden table. He was practically beating himself up over it.

Why the hell did he kiss her? He felt like a total idiot! Perhaps the term 'Ahomine' isn't all that far fetched after all. He had the biggest crush on her for three years in middle school, and had tried hard to repair their damaged friendship that year when Kise had finally told him where Tamaki is, and what did he do but go and kiss her? And Aomine knew very well that Tamaki hates getting touched by people.

It probably stems from that incident during their Teiko days when Haizaki had tried to have his way with Tamaki in the locker room. If it hadn't been for the fact that Midorima had left his lucky item behind in the locker room that day, and hence, had returned to retrieve it, only god knows what will happen then. Aomine had nearly broken his hand punching Haizaki's nose. And Akashi… That was the first time that he had ever seen the redhead captain so furious. He thought for sure that Akashi would stab Haizaki with his scissors. And then the incident during the Winter Cup finals with Hanamiya only made things worse. Since then, Tamaki doesn't like people touching her, unless it's someone close to her.

But seriously, of all the places in the world, he actually kissed her in a _public park,_ where anyone could see? What the hell was he thinking?

Tamaki had actually tried to contact him after that, but Aomine was afraid to know Tamaki's reaction to his actions. He is surprised that Akashi hadn't come after him armed with his scissors yet. He knows what that sadist is like when it comes to his cousin.

"You are always doing something stupid. That's nothing new." His mother said bluntly. Ouch. "I'm surprised that Tamaki-chan had enough patience to deal with you for three years. She must have the patience of an ox to deal with you for three entire years. And just _when_ are you going to confess to her?"

Aomine almost fell off the chair that he is sitting on at those words.

"E-E-E-E-EHHHHHHHH?"

His mother only looked annoyed. "Oh please, Daiki, it's so _obvious_ that you like Tamaki-chan since middle school!" She scolded him. "I won't ask what had happened, and why she didn't attend Touou alongside you and Satsuki-chan. So I'll ask again. _When_ are you going to tell her?"

"How about never?" Aomine asked, slumping back onto the table. "She probably hates me now." He whined.

Silence.

Upon feeling a scathing glare on his back, Aomine turned only to see his mother glaring at him, with flames almost burning in the background. "If I don't get my daughter-in-law and grandchildren, Aomine Daiki, then YOU can stop calling me 'Mom'!" She pointed a finger at Aomine.

"How?"

"For goodness sake, do I have to _teach_ you how to ask a girl out? Just what kind of son did I raise?" Aomine's mother almost threw her arms up in frustration.

"A basketball player?"

"That's not what I meant!"

Aomine was surprised when he suddenly found himself outside his house, with his mother throwing Aomine his black fur trimmed jacket, along with his wallet and phone. "Go to Tamaki-chan's house right now and ask her out! Don't come back until you do!"

SLAM!

* * *

Aomine found himself staring at the door of Tamaki's apartment thirty minutes later.

That day is a Sunday, and he knew that Tamaki generally spends Sundays at her home reading one of her many novels. His mind was currently running through various scenarios of how he should ask Tamaki out, and how she would react. And seriously, which sane girl would agree to go out with him in the first place? Back in Teiko, it is always Kise and Midorima that the girls always go for, sometimes even Akashi.

Aomine scratched the back of his head. Maybe he should just hang around the park or some café until nightfall and go home. His mother would never know…

The door swung opened just then, and any excuse that Aomine is thinking of to give his mother vanished immediately as he saw Tamaki standing at the doorway, with Aoi at her feet, tongue hanging out and tail wagging merrily when he saw Aomine.

"Exactly how long do you plan on standing at my door?" Tamaki asked, annoyed, not betraying anything in her eyes. Aomine blinked. She isn't going to say anything about _that day?_ "What are you doing here?" Aomine mumbled something. "Pardon?"

"Wantgodatewithme?" Aomine garbled too fast for anyone to understand. But somehow, Tamaki could understand his garble of words, and she stared at him for a very long time without saying anything. To anyone, she would look the same as before, but Aomine had known her for a long time, and could detect the tell-tale signs of a blush rising on her face.

"Give me a moment." Tamaki muttered before disappearing back into her house again.

Aomine stared down at Aoi who is currently sitting at his feet, staring up at him with those blue eyes so much like Tamaki's, his tongue hanging out of his mouth, and tail wagging happily.

"Aoi, what do you think I should do?" Aomine almost whined to the little puppy.

Aoi cocked his head to one side.

**XXXXXX**

'_He's looking at me funny again.'_ Tamaki thought, irritated, glancing at Aomine who seems to be rather determined to _not _look at her. Aoi was currently walking at her feet, since Tamaki doesn't want to leave the little puppy alone at home, and he could use some sun as well.

Tamaki is currently wearing a light blue shirt with a white hoodie over it, and black shorts, with black strap sandals on her feet. A green sling bag was also slung over her chest.

Somehow or other, the two have ended up at the aquarium – a place that Tamaki had meant to visit for some time now ever since it had opened during her second year of middle school, but could never find the time or the chance to do so. As it was a Sunday, the place was crowded with families with small children, and even the occasional couple.

Tamaki sighed inwardly as she caught a quick movement out of the corner of her eye and resisted the urge to turn around. _'And just how much longer do they want to continue following us?'_ she thought, irritated.

* * *

"Aquarium?" Akashi frowned, hiding behind a large figurine of a dolphin riding on waves – the aquarium's mascot. "You'd think that this is some sort of field trip." He grumbled.

"Well, Dai-chan isn't much of a romanticist." Satsuki giggled.

"T-Tamacchiiiiiii!" Kise wailed, tears falling like twin waterfalls down his cheeks as he gazed at the backs of the two whom they are currently shadowing.

"I come out with you on a Sunday morning to do something like this?" Midorima grumbled. Murasakibara ignored the mayhem that is his former teammates, and continued munching on his potato chips. "I'm sure that Tamaki probably already knew that we're following her, Akashi. She wouldn't be happy." He tried to warn his former captain, but was ignored.

Midorima almost groaned as he followed his former teammates as they followed the two even deeper into the aquarium park. It might be termed as an 'aquarium', but it's really more like a park or a zoo with all kinds of marine life.

Why is he doing this again? Midorima wondered to himself even as he tried hard to ignore the weird looks that the passersby were giving them.

They aren't exactly inconspicuous either.

* * *

Aomine and Tamaki walked down the belt, looking overhead them and even around them at the school of fishes swimming about in the water, with the entire place being reflected in various shades of blue because of the water.

"It's so pretty…" Tamaki smiled as a school of colourful clown fish swam past them. Aoi who was currently riding in the hood of her hoodie to prevent getting lost in the aquarium barked happily in agreement. "And is that a puffer fish?"

Aomine looked at the large white ball of a fish that Tamaki had pointed out. "Looks like some kind of ball to me," he commented. He then grinned. "Think that we could use it to play underwater basketball?" He joked.

Tamaki laughed, and Aomine turned to her in surprise. It had been awhile since he had heard Tamaki laugh. The last time had been before her parents' deaths. And after Hanamiya's attack on her, it is almost a task in itself to so much as make Tamaki _smile._ Her laughter sounded almost like bell chimes to the tanned teen.

It is soothing to him.

Aomine smiled.

"What?" Tamaki asked with a small smile.

Aomine shook his head. "Nothing," he mumbled. "Come on, let's go further in." He wrapped one arm around Tamaki's shoulders, drawing her closer to him. Aomine felt Tamaki stiffened slightly beneath his touch, but she didn't draw away, and he considered it a good thing.

* * *

The rest of the Generation of Miracles and Satsuki were all hiding behind a pillar decorated with little fishes and bubbles, pretending to be tourists of some sort, hiding their faces behind guidebooks. Kise actually had a pair of sunglasses on his face, making him look more like a model than he already is, and Satsuki actually had a straw hat atop her pink locks. But still, they stood out like a sore thumb, especially with Murasakibara's height, and the fact that he is munching continuously on a packet of potato chips like nobody's business.

"Hey, that is too close!" Kise wailed in dismay, seeing Aomine's arm around Tamaki's shoulders.

Akashi added a few more things mentally to his list of 'What Should Be Talked About With Aomine' list. He made a mental note to bring his scissors along with him the next time he had a 'talk' with the ace from his previous team.

* * *

"Dolphins, huh?" Aomine mused as they neared the dolphin pool where several dolphin handlers were overseeing the friendly creatures, even allowing the children to pet them. "Why are they so popular anyway?"

"They're pretty friendly." Tamaki told him. She was about to elaborate more on this issue when a man shoved into her accidentally, not actually seeing her behind him. Taken by surprise, Tamaki lost balance and would have taken a swan dive to the ground if Aomine hadn't caught her in his arms.

"Careful!" Aomine cautioned, holding onto Tamaki so that she wouldn't fall. "Are you all right?"

* * *

"Smooth, Dai-chan, _real_ smooth." Satsuki muttered to herself, though she is doing inner whoops and jumps at this action of her childhood friend.

"Lucky that he caught her when he did." Akashi muttered, mentally adding that unknown man to his list of 'To Kill', with Hanamiya Makoto and Haizaki Shogo being one of the names on that list. "Tama doesn't need another injury on top of everything."

* * *

"I'm a little hungry." Aomine said at last at noon. "Is there a restaurant somewhere?"

"Now that you've mentioned it, I'm a little hungry too." Tamaki admitted as the crowd around them thinned out, and a sign with an arrow pointing towards the left read 'Restaurant. This Way'.

* * *

The restaurant that they've gone to is more of a fast food outlet, with the fish tanks of the aquarium everywhere around them, allowing the patrons to watch the schools of colourful fishes swimming around them whilst having their meal.

Tamaki and Aomine both have somehow found a seat next to a pillar where a fish tank was just next to it. The two teens then both ordered the same thing – fish cutlet, with a vanilla milkshake for Tamaki, and a deluxe Coke for Aomine.

The rest of the Generation of Miracles gathered at a table in a corner where they could spy on them, hiding themselves behind menus, with Kise actually holding his upside down. But no one cared since they weren't really interested in the food items in the first place.

"So why ask me out suddenly?" Tamaki asked Aomine as they ate their lunch. "After ignoring me for nearly three days, no less."

Aomine winced. Clearly, Tamaki isn't happy at being ignored by Aomine for three straight days. He is lucky that Tamaki hadn't told her best friend what he had done. Satsuki can be scary if she thought that Aomine is bullying the teal haired girl. She had almost screeched his ear off back in third year when Tamaki had resigned from the basketball club. The teal haired girl had never said anything back then, but everyone knew that her leaving had something to do with Aomine.

"Sorry." Aomine mumbled. He looked at Tamaki's clear blue eyes and steeled himself. "I—"

A silver object flew in between Tamaki and Aomine just then like a bullet, narrowly missing Aomine by a mere inch. A silver cutlery knife got imbedded into the wall next to them, trembling slightly. Aomine stared at it in fear.

A trickle of blood actually flowed from the shallow cut on his cheek.

* * *

Akashi scowled, his hand outstretched. "Che. I missed."

Kise sweat dropped. "Akashi-cchi…" he whined.

* * *

"There seems to be a fireworks show at the square in about an hour." Tamaki remarked as she inspected the program list that she had in her hand.

It is getting late by then, and the stars were slowly coming out.

They've gone to the penguins' enclosure after having their lunch where Aoi was very interested in the black and white creatures, and kept barking nonstop. The penguins have also warbled back at Aoi, acting almost like Aoi is some long lost brother of theirs or something. They've even visited the sharks' enclosure, much to Aomine's horror, where Tamaki had actually touched the great white shark. Sure, it's still a baby, but still…

Scenes from the movie Jaws actually kept flashing in Aomine's mind when he witnessed Tamaki touching the fin of the baby shark, and he had nearly dragged Tamaki away from the sharks' enclosure.

By the time that they've visited nearly every single kind of marine life in the aquarium, it was near dusk. But Aomine can't deny that he hadn't felt this carefree in awhile. He simply can't remember the last time when he had smiled or even laughed.

"Shall we go then?" Aomine asked Tamaki, and she smiled and nodded.

* * *

The square is really just a large space mainly used for performances.

Several of the seats were already occupied, mainly by couples, but somehow, Aomine could manage to find a seat for them near the back that will give them the best view once the fireworks start. Aoi seems to have fallen asleep in Tamaki's hood, tired out from the events of the day.

Tamaki sneezed, and Aomine glanced at her. "Cold?" he asked with concern.

"A little." Tamaki admitted. She was then taken aback by surprise when Aomine wrapped one arm around her shoulders and drew her close to him.

"Better?" Aomine asked, and Tamaki nodded, leaning against the dark blue haired teen. They've often done that during their Teiko days until several students have mistakenly assumed that they were dating.

"I used to have weird dreams once." Tamaki said suddenly, and pretty out of the blue, as is usual for her. Aomine raised an eyebrow. "I kept dreaming of the past. And then of darkness. There is always a single spot of light in that darkness. And Aomine-kun was standing in that light. But no matter how hard I tried, I couldn't catch up with you. And then…Aomine-kun disappeared."

The fireworks started just then, lighting the darkened skies up, looking almost like flowers in the sky.

"Back then…" Tamaki looked at Aomine. "Why did you suddenly kiss me?" She had a light flush on her face.

Aomine winced. He knew that this question is coming. "Because I like you," he mumbled. "I had ever since middle school." He looked at Tamaki. "But then…" He trailed off.

"It wasn't your fault, if that's what you're asking," said Tamaki, reading Aomine's mind as usual. "It is true that I left partly because of what had happened during the last championship game. But like what I'd told you, it wasn't only because of you. And you're an idiot for worrying about Kagami-kun." She told him bluntly. "He's just a friend to me. Almost like a brother."

Tamaki was surprised when Aomine suddenly enveloped her in a hug, burying his face into her neck, his hair tickling her cheek. "Aomine-kun?" she murmured.

"I had been your first 'light'," he muttered into her neck. "I can't change the fact that we are in different schools now, and that something did happen between us before. But it's all right. Just look at me from now on. I'll shine brighter for you than anyone else. I'll always be your light."

Tamaki's hands shook slightly before hugging Aomine back, and she rested her head on his shoulder, taking in his scent. He smelled of citrus. A nice smell, and one that suited him. "Even if we are in opposing teams, and even if we are opponents on the court?"

Aomine nodded. "Yeah."

**XXXXXX**

Aomine walked Tamaki back home after they've left the aquarium, both their hands intertwined with each other. Thus, he was surprised when he spotted a familiar head of red hair, with the owner of it sitting atop the steps of Tamaki's apartment, apparently waiting for them both.

"Sei?" Tamaki sounded surprised to see her cousin. "Shouldn't you be back in Kyoto by now?"

The next day is Monday after all. All of them have school.

Akashi let out a huff as he stood up, glancing at Aomine. "I want a word with Daiki," he told his cousin. Tamaki frowned at him. "Don't worry. I'm not going to hurt him, Tama. I just want a word with him. Man to man."

"Your idea of 'talking' usually involves some scissors." Tamaki sighed tiredly. "But I'll trust you just this once. I'll head on inside. I'm putting Aoi in his basket. He's tired out."

Akashi then stepped aside to allow his cousin to enter her own apartment. The moment that the door closed behind her, the redhead then stepped up to Aomine. Akashi might be nearly a head and a half shorter than Aomine, but somehow, he seemed awfully menacing and tall at that moment.

"I've given you this talk before when you first asked for my permission to date my cousin," said Akashi, looking at Aomine straight in the eyes. "But I'm telling you this now. If you hurt her like you did back in third year, no force alive would keep you safe from my wrath." He warned a very pale Aomine. "If you thought that what I did to Haizaki in second year is harsh, then you'll have to find another definition for that word once I'm through with you if you ever hurt Tama. She's been through enough. Tama doesn't need her heart broken atop of everything. If you're just looking for a fling, Daiki, then I suggest you look elsewhere."

"I really like Tamaki." Aomine told his former captain. "I love her. I won't ever hurt her, I swear it. I'll rather cut my own arm off before I do that."

There was silence between the two for several moments before Akashi sighed. "Very well. I might be Tama's cousin, but like back in Teiko, I can't make her change her mind. I respect her decision. But like I said, don't hurt her again, Daiki. If you do, I'll suggest that you run as far as you can. Because I won't be the only one hunting you down." He huffed before glancing at his watch. "I should get going, otherwise, I'll probably miss the last train to Kyoto." He clapped Aomine on the shoulder, almost causing the taller male to fall over his feet. For someone so small (he'll never say that to Akashi's face, he values his life too much, thank you very much!), he sure had some strength! "Take care of her, Daiki."

Aomine nodded dumbly even as he watched his former captain walked down the street, walking towards the direction of the train station. He bowed into the direction where Akashi had just walked into. Aomine then scratched the back of his head with a sigh before turning and walking towards Tamaki's door. Before he could even knock on it, the door swung opened.

"Has Sei left?" Tamaki asked even as she invited Aomine in wordlessly.

"Yeah. He said something about catching the last train to Kyoto." Aomine mumbled as he removed his shoes. "Aoi asleep?" He asked, changing the subject quickly. He soon spotted the adorable little husky fast asleep in his own little basket near Tamaki's bed.

Aomine had gone shopping with Tamaki the day after she'd gotten Aoi, buying all the necessary supplies needed for a dog, and had even gone with her to the vet to give the puppy the necessary shots.

"He's tired." Tamaki smiled, patting the puppy on the head, and one of his ears twitched in his sleep. She turned to face Aomine. "Could you lean down a little?" She asked suddenly.

"Hmm? Like this?" Aomine leaned down. And before he even knew what is going on, he felt a pair of slender arms around his neck, and a pair of warm moist lips on his own. Aomine's eyes widened when he realised that Tamaki was kissing him.

"For thanks." Tamaki murmured into his ear before Aomine initiated the kiss this time around.

The dark blue haired teen ran his fingers through Tamaki's hair and pulled her down with him until they somehow ended up on the floor, with Aomine above the teal haired girl, pinning her down with his weight even as they made out on the floor of Tamaki's apartment. Finally, the two teens broke apart for air.

"Earlier…" said Tamaki, not looking particularly disturbed that Aomine had her pinned beneath him. "You said you liked me. Is it 'like' like…? Or is it something else?" She searched his eyes for an answer.

Aomine sealed her lips with his before drawing back once more, clasping their hands together. "For now, it's 'love'," he told her. He kissed her nose, before covering her lips with his own once more. "What about you?"

"…Aomine-kun…" Tamaki muttered even as Aomine buried his nose into her neck.

"Call my name." He told her.

"Name…?"

"Yeah. My name." Aomine peeled himself off Tamaki, staring down at her. "Call my name."

"…Daiki…"

"Yes. Call my name." Aomine said, leaning down and kissing her again. "I love you, Tamaki."

**XXXXXX**

The night before the first match of the championship league had Tamaki feeling very fidgety.

The training that night had been brutal for the rest of her team, especially for Kagami whose legs have already healed a few days ago, and was doing some extra training to make up for all the days that he had lost. Riko had seemingly turned into Satan that day, judging by the number of drills and runs that she had the boys doing.

They could barely manage to drag themselves the extra mile home the moment that Riko had dismissed them from training.

And if truth be told, Tamaki is concerned about the match with Touou the next day.

She knew how dangerous that Aomine could be on the court. She had been his partner once after all. It had been a week since they've gone official, though there is some unspoken agreement between the both of them that they do not tell their teams about their relationship, especially with the upcoming Touou versus Seirin match.

Touou is already strong enough without Aomine. Add Aomine into the equation, and you'll have one dangerous team. And she is currently in no condition to help her team with her wrist injury! Tamaki had a strong feeling that there is a remarkably high chance that Seirin might lose. And quite badly too, if the feelings that Aomine had towards her chosen team is of any indication. Her boyfriend especially had taken a particular dislike towards her current redhead partner from the first moment when he had actually laid eyes on said redhead.

Tamaki glanced at the two framed photos sitting on the bedside table. One was that of Seirin's team, whilst the other was of the Generation of Miracles with Satsuki in the photo as well. There was a low whine just then, and Aoi crawled towards Tamaki on her bed. The teal haired girl smiled as she lifted the puppy to her eye level.

"Will it be all right tomorrow?" she asked Aoi who let out a soft bark.

Tamaki still remembered the conversation that she had with Kagami a couple of days ago.

"_I played Aomine." Kagami told Tamaki at lunchtime, with both of them currently on the rooftop of the school. "He said that he used to be your 'light'." He sounded uneasy, and Tamaki is sure that Aomine had probably said something else to Kagami. The redhead is like an open book; she can easily tell what he's thinking just by his face alone. "It sounded to me like you both weren't just ordinary teammates. What happened between you both in middle school?"_

_Tamaki was silent for a long time. "It's not just me. Kise-kun. Midorima-kun. And even…Aomine-kun. All of them. None of the Generation of Miracles started off as extraordinary players." She said at last. "However, it is Aomine-kun who is the first among us to bloom sooner and more suddenly. He grew strong. In fact, you can even say that he grew **too** strong. From the first time when I first met him, he had always loved basketball. You can even say that he loves that sport more than anything else in the world, and will train and practice harder than anyone on the team back then. Because he loved that sport so much, he grew strong. That was during second year. And that was when the legend of the Generation of Miracles began circulating. We debuted during our first year. But it is during our second year when our name truly became legends."_

"_He was the first among…"_

_Tamaki nodded. "He was the first one. The others followed after that. But when players of the opposing team started losing their spirit and willpower after seeing the overwhelming strength and differences in power, Aomine-kun grew disheartened. What he wanted is a rival that could stand on par with him. But no matter how hard he had searched, he had never found one. Probably, it's around that time when he started developing a dislike for basketball, even finding it boring. I told him at that time that he will one day find a rival to match his strength against." Tamaki felt guilty at this point of time. Part of the reason why she'd chosen Kagami as her new 'light' is to fulfil that promise to Aomine that she'd made back in second year. "We swept the tournament that year mainly because of Aomine-kun's strength. And then the other four started to change too. Because of a certain event at the National tournament during our third year, I quit the Teiko basketball team."_

_Kagami was silent for a long time. "Was Aomine who you were referring to the first time when you told me about your former teammates?" he asked, and Tamaki nodded. "Why are all your former teammates like that?" He complained, and Tamaki blinked at him in confusion. "Thinking that everyone is below them, or even that basketball is boring because you're too strong? The Generation of Miracles is full of those guys! It's so funny I could burst a spleen."_

"_You mean a gut." Tamaki corrected him._

"_I'll beat him and wake him up." Kagami vowed. "You can't help me this time around, but I'll fight for your share too." He grinned a feral grin._

_Tamaki smiled and nodded. "Yeah."_

"Tomorrow is the championship league." Tamaki muttered, placing Aoi on her bed, and the puppy crawled into her lap, seeking warmth. "I got a bad feeling about it." She grasped her cellphone, scrolling down the contacts' list until she reached Aomine's name, her thumb hovering above the dial button. After a long while, she then let the phone drop onto her bed, and threw one arm over her eyes. _'I…just wanted to hear his voice. Tomorrow… What is going to happen at the match?'_

* * *

_A/N: Sorry if this chapter is a lot shorter than normal. And I hope that you're happy with the fluff moment between Aomine and Tamaki. And so the Touou versus Seirin match is here at last, but Tamaki wouldn't be able to play!_

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	14. Believe in Us

_Seirin and Touou:_ Yes, for certain reasons that I'm sure I don't need to explain, Tamaki and Aomine doesn't want either of their teams to learn of their relationship. It would only complicate matters, seeing as both their teams were up against each other in a match, and not to mention that Kagami and Aomine kind of got off on the wrong foot with each other. They'll soon learn of their relationship. You just have to wait and see.

_Kiyoshi: _Yup, he will be making an appearance soon enough, especially after the Touou versus Seirin match. And yes, he _had_ met Tamaki in the hospital some chapters back.

_About Haizaki:_ Some of you have been asking about Haizaki, and whether I will go into detail about the incident that had caused Akashi to kick him out of the team, and for Aomine to nearly break his hand punching his nose. I _will_ go into detail about it, but not until he makes an appearance in this story, which I'm afraid will be for quite a _looooooooooong _time.

_Mama Aomine:_ Glad to see that so many of you likes Aomine's mother. Seriously, I'm seriously considering writing a side story of their Teiko days, and how they have became the Generation of Miracles, all the way to until Tamaki had enough and decided to leave Teiko.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Fourteen: Believe in Us**

"_Her role may be different, but her attitude towards basketball is no different from an athlete's." - Midorima Shintaro_

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki glanced at the calendar sitting on her beside table. There were several red crosses over the dates, with a red circle around that day's date, with 'Championship League' written beneath it in red.

The teal haired girl glanced at the bandage around her right wrist before looking down at Aoi who is slurping up water in his bowl happily. The adorable little puppy looked up at her, his tail wagging, and he made a noise of contentment as Tamaki patted him on the head.

The championship league game of Seirin versus Touou that day starts at 5PM after lessons were out for the day, and Tamaki can't help but feel nervous about the upcoming match. She had a real bad feeling about it. It isn't just the fact that Aomine is playing in the match that had her concerned. It is also the fact that Touou had Satsuki's support.

Tamaki hadn't forgotten just how fearsome that Satsuki could be during a match. The pink haired girl is not a normal manager, and she had been the training manager for the Generation of Miracles during their time in middle school after all. Like with the players themselves, Momoi Satsuki is not a normal manager either.

"What do you think will happen today, Aoi?" Tamaki asked her puppy, and Aoi barked at her.

**XXXXXX**

"Huh? Tamaki isn't here?" Hyuuga asked in confusion as the entire Seirin team were all gathered in their clubroom after school had let out for the day. It had been decided that the entire Seirin team would go together to the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium where the championship league game will be held.

"No, she texted me this morning, saying that she has to go to the hospital for some checkup." Riko explained, holding up her red cellphone. "She said that she'll meet us at the gymnasium." The brunette coach then frowned. "Well, even if the checkup goes well, it isn't like I will allow her to play in today's match anyway." She said darkly, and the rest of the team exchanged looks. "I would rather we lose the match then put Tamaki-chan in a match when her wrist isn't even fully healed, and risk it getting worse." Riko almost shivered at the memory of Midorima's death glare at the end of the Shutoku versus Seirin match. _'And not to mention that Midorima Shintaro would skin us alive if I allow Tamaki-chan to play!'_

Riko had very strict policies about putting an injured player in a match, most probably because of that incident from last year's Inter High tournament. Her heart had nearly stopped when she had realised what had happened to the teal haired girl when she had used that last move during the Seirin versus Shutoku match.

"But still, without Tamaki, won't the match be tough?" Koganei voiced out the same thing that is currently on everyone's minds. No one can deny the fact that they've only managed to make it this far in the Inter High tournament because of Tamaki.

"Then we just have to try our best, won't we?" Riko smiled confidently. "All right, let's go!"

**XXXXXX**

The sun was setting, with it painting the skies a beautiful orange-red as the time for the match of Seirin versus Touou dawned closer, with hordes of spectators heading towards the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium to watch the match. And amongst them were the regulars of Shutoku, minus a certain green haired shooter, who were all interested to see how Seirin would fare against Touou Academy.

Takao was grinning like a loon as he looked around him at the turnout of spectators for the Inter High championship league game. The black haired teen was currently walking with the rest of the regulars of his basketball team, with all of them dressed in their school uniforms, as they've just came straight from school.

"A lot more people turn out for the championship league than they did for our match." Takao commented.

"Huh? Where's Midorima?" Miyaji asked the black haired freshman, with Takao being the one that the Shutoku regulars always go to if they wish to know of Midorima's whereabouts.

Takao didn't answer. He simply pulled out his cellphone and showed his senior the message that he had received from Midorima when he had texted him about the match in class that day. The green haired shooter had merely texted an 'I do not want to', in response to Takao's message.

Miyaji chuckled darkly, a tick almost forming on his head. "Kimura, pineapple!" he called to his best friend who is currently behind him, recalling Kimura's offer to loan him a pineapple during their match against Seirin, and how the center had suggested throwing a pineapple at Midorima instead.

"Yeah, I've got a real green one." Kimura responded.

The four Shutoku regulars soon approached the board where a list of the matches that day was pinned up. There would be a total of two matches that day. With one being Seirin versus Touou Academy, and the other being Meisei versus Senshinkan.

And this year had been the first time in years that two of the three kings of Tokyo had lost before the championship league. And given the fact that this year had been the year that the Generation of Miracles have headed to high school, it is not surprising. In fact, the reason why so many schools have resorted to recruiting formidable players from aboard is mainly because of them. _Every_ single high school basketball team in Japan is dreading the day when they'll get to face one of them in a match. They are only thanking their stars that they do not get to face them as a _team._

"The Meisei versus Senshinkan game should go to Senshinkan." Otsubo concluded. The Shutoku captain was well aware of Senshinkan's ability. While unlike Shutoku who had recruited a member of the Generation of Miracles for their team that year, Senshinkan is no pushover either. They didn't get their title as one of the three kings of Tokyo for nothing. "The game that will shake the championship league is Seirin versus Touou Academy."

"But Touou's ace is that guy from the Generation of Miracles, right?" Miyaji frowned, recalling what little that Midorima had mentioned in passing once during a training session two days ago. Apparently, Midorima isn't too fond of that Aomine guy. Though come to think of it, is there _anyone_ in his old team that he _doesn't_ dislike or get along with? "And that Kuroko girl can't play in today's match, right? Will Seirin be all right?" He wondered.

All of Shutoku felt a tad bit guilty when Midorima had returned the day after their match with Seirin, his face as black as thunder. Later on, the team had heard from Takao that the teal haired girl that had contributed greatly to Seirin's victory against them had injured her right hand with that last move that she had performed, and will be out of commission for at least a month. She had been lucky that she didn't break her wrist.

"Ah. Shutoku." A soft voice said from behind them just then, and the four Shutoku regulars nearly jumped about a foot in the air. They then turned around only to see the girl whom they have been talking about, with a scowling redhead just a few inches taller than her standing next to her. "What are you doing here?"

Much to Shutoku's surprise, Kuroko Tamaki wasn't dressed in her school uniform or her team jersey. Instead, she is dressed in a light blue shirt with a white hoodie over it, and black shorts with light blue and white basketball shoes. Her redhead companion is dressed in a white tee that had black edgings around it, with a light green and black jacket worn over it. He is also wearing black shorts with a plain black choker around his neck, and black and dark blue basketball shoes. Though the only thing that stands out from the redhead is his heterochromia eyes of red and gold.

"Well, we came to watch the match." Takao laughed nervously, being the first one to regain his composure. Damn, even with his Hawk Eye, he couldn't even see the two of them behind him? "What about you? Shouldn't you be with your team?"

"Well, I wouldn't be playing today." Tamaki told him. "I'll see you around then."

The redhead nodded silently before the both of them then disappeared somewhere within the sea of people.

The four Shutoku regulars were silent for several moments before Kimura broke the silence. "Well, that was interesting," he commented.

**XXXXXX**

"Tamaki!"

Seirin was surprised to find the teal haired girl already at their team bench when they've emerged from the locker rooms, along with Touou Academy, with both teams getting ready for the next match. Much to Kagami's surprise however, Tamaki was dressed in street clothes instead of her team jersey.

"Where's your team jersey?" The redhead asked the teal haired girl even as he placed his bag down on the bench. The three other freshmen were currently preparing the tapings and energy drinks on the bench behind them.

"Well, the coach specifically told me not to wear it today." Tamaki told her partner, glancing at Riko.

The teal haired girl knew why as well. If Tamaki came in her team jersey today, and if things go bad for Seirin during their match, neither Riko nor Tamaki would be able to resist the urge to put the teal haired girl on the court. And if things go wrong for Tamaki on the court, well…

"How did the checkup go?" Riko asked, turning towards the teal haired girl, and the team listened in with interest. Without a word, Tamaki raised her right wrist to their eye level, pulling back the sleeve of her hoodie to reveal the thick bandage still bound around it. "Still not healed, huh?" Riko sighed.

Kagami muttered something before turning towards Touou's bench where their team players were all currently warming up to prepare for their match. The redhead frowned as he didn't see a certain tanned dark blue haired player in their midst.

"Excuse me?" Kagami approached a blonde Touou second year. "Where's Aomine?" He asked curiously.

The blonde player, Wakamatsu Kosuke scowled at the mere mention of that name. "That self centered bastard is running late," he grunted.

The second year and Aomine have never gotten off on the right footing from the very first moment when Aomine had stepped foot into Touou's gym. The fact that he missed practice continuously set aside, Wakamatsu had never liked the fact that Aomine is always stealing Sakurai's lunch, and terrorizing the timid and jumpy boy.

Momoi had nearly worked herself up in a panic earlier in their locker room when Imayoshi had told her that he couldn't contact Aomine at all, and the pink haired girl had promptly telephoned her childhood friend. Satsuki was ready to throw something at Aomine when the blue haired boy had told her that he had fallen asleep on their school's roof.

"Sorry." Imayoshi apologized, the eternal smile never falling from his face. "We're actually in a bind without him too. He said he'd show up around the second half. I guess you could call us the opening act. Go easy on us." The Touou captain told the Seirin team with a dark grin.

* * *

"All right, Tamaki-chan won't be able to play in today's match, thus, we have to play three times as hard than we usually do." Riko told her team who were all gathered around her for a last minute strategic meeting. "Today's match is against Touou Academy!"

"Kagami, you've already played against Aomine once, right?" Izuki asked the redhead. "Your motivation hasn't dropped, has it?" He asked sharply.

"No way." Kagami scoffed. "If anything, I'm pissed!" He growled, looking over his shoulder at the Touou team. "If these guys are the opening act, I'll pull so far ahead that they can't catch up and make their star the world's biggest idiot!"

"I think it's for the best too." Tamaki told her team, and they turned towards the teal haired girl with surprise. Tamaki is currently seated on the bench, with Riko handing her the clipboard, telling her to keep note of the match and the fouls committed. "Dai—Aomine-kun is dangerous. Whatever that you have glimpsed of his skill isn't even half of what he is capable of." She told Kagami, much to his shock. "We should score as much as possible while we have the chance. Once Aomine-kun gets here…" She trailed off slowly, her eyes darkening considerably. "You'll then realise the true meaning of strength, and what it means to face the Generation of Miracles."

**XXXXXX**

The game started off with Touou being in possession of the ball, and much to Seirin's shock, all their players were insanely fast, with both teams being on full offense right from the start. Unlike all their previous opponents, Touou isn't underestimating them in the least.

Hyuuga growled as Number 9 managed to shoot a three pointer almost immediately, and he glanced at Touou's captain who isn't standing too far away from him. "Calling yourselves the opening act was evil," he told Imayoshi.

"What? I wasn't lying." Imayoshi said playfully. Hyuuga was suddenly reminded of a certain annoying brunette in Seirin that always had the tendency to rub him up the wrong way ever since their first meeting. Like with _that guy,_ Imayoshi might have the _angel's face,_ but the _devil's heart._ "Like what that little miss in your team had said earlier, you'll know once Aomine gets here." He smirked deviously. "We're cute little kids compared to him. I told you, we're just the opening act."

Over on the bench, Tamaki was worried, though she didn't look it. _'So it begins,' _she mused. _'This match… What will happen in this match?'_

**XXXXXX**

It is now four minutes in the first quarter, and Touou is currently in the lead with 8 points to Seirin's 4.

Wakamatsu leapt up to grab the rebound, dodging Mitobe, and the blonde then launched a long pass across the court towards Imayoshi who caught it easily. Much to Izuki's dismay, he wasn't able to stop the Touou captain from scoring.

'_Damn… As expected, it really is tough without Tamaki's support.'_ Seirin's point guard thought to himself, panting heavily. _'But no matter what, we have to win! Tamaki can't play in this match, and we can't let her play, no matter what, thus, we have to pick up the pace!'_

During tough matches like during their matches against Shutoku and Seiho, Seirin had always relied on Tamaki's support. Not having her in a match when they're up against a tough opponent made the team realise just how much that they have relied on the teal haired girl and her passes.

Imayoshi grinned at Izuki. "When you heard Aomine would be late, I bet you thought you should score as many points as you can." He grinned at Izuki's disgruntled expression. "Sorry, I guess I misspoke." Izuki narrowed his eyes. "Like I've said, we're only an opening act compared to Aomine. We're probably stronger than you." He grinned darkly, pushing his glasses up his nose.

* * *

"Not good." Tamaki muttered to herself, watching the match going on in front of her.

Next to her, Riko nodded, agreeing with the teal haired girl. _'They're strong! I didn't think that they'd be __**this**_ _strong. If they're this good without Aomine-kun, we're screwed.' _"This is bad." Riko muttered.

"And not to mention that Touou is the first offense team that we're up against." Tamaki told the coach, much to the three freshmen's surprise. "They rarely, if never defend. That's why all their matches thus far are always 100 point games." She told them. _'Well, a large part has to do with Daiki.'_ Tamaki thought. Even back in Teiko, Aomine could always manage to score at least eighty points all by himself.

"Yes, they're the opposite of Seiho." Riko admitted wryly. "An offensive team."

"But something is weird with their play style." Tamaki pointed out, and everyone looked at her curiously. "It's something that I've noticed right from the start, but their plays and everything… Their offense and defense is all one-on-one. You get the ball yourself and score yourself. They keep coming with individual skill." Tamaki frowned.

Touou is rather like a much watered down version of Teiko.

* * *

"I see," said a very annoyed Izuki who is currently marking Imayoshi. "I expected some of this, but that's your style." _'This is almost like a one man basketball, damn it!' _He growled.

"That's right. Our team gathered athletes from across the country. The more skilled a player is, the stronger his sense of self. We're been trying all sorts of things in the last few years though." Imayoshi remarked. "More than holding hands and playing nice, this way works best. We're both offensive teams. This game should be interesting."

Izuki grabbed the ball as it was passed to him, and Imayoshi immediately moved to block Izuki's path. "I don't know how interesting it will be. I'm not even sure we're the same type." Izuki told Imayoshi, not liking how Imayoshi had clumped both their teams together in the same light. He would rather not be compared with a team that cares little for their teammates, thank you very much! "Our style is full team play."

Izuki finally managed to break free from Imayoshi, and took down the court with the ball, with Kagami immediately forming a screen to guard the Touou captain, much to his shock.

Touou soon realised what Izuki had meant by stating that Seirin's style is a 'full team play' when the Seirin players made use of their positions on the court, and performed a kind of coordination play only seen in seasoned basketball teams.

"Forget one-on-ones." Hyuuga growled as he gained possession of the ball and made a three point shot, much to Sakurai's dismay. "I don't plan on losing this game. Tell your captain, you apologetic mushroom." He growled at Sakurai who looked taken aback at Hyuuga's dark look, with the Seirin captain currently being in clutch mode.

"I-I'm sorry!" The timid boy apologized. _'I didn't even say anything! And what is an apologetic mushroom?' _He wondered in bewilderment.

**XXXXXX**

Kise walked into the gymnasium, rather put off that Kasamatsu had refused to come with him to the match that day. The cheers of the spectators greeted the blonde the moment that he had entered the gym, and he sighed, realising that the match had already begun.

"I'm late again. And they're losing again." Kise sighed. The blonde then blinked as he saw a tall green haired teen standing not too far away from him, wearing sunglasses of all things _indoors,_ as if trying _not_ to be conspicuous. "Midorimacchi?"

Midorima was taken aback as he noticed his ex-teammate standing near him, and the small jack in the box thingy in his left hand sprang opened, revealing a cheerful yellow ball that bounced to and fro whilst on a spring. "Kise?" he spluttered, dismayed to realise that Kise had recognised him immediately, even with his sunglasses on. "How did you know it was me?"

"What are you, stupid?" Kise deadpanned. "Those sunglasses are embarrassing. Please take them off. Besides, what's with the box?"

"It's today's lucky item, of course."

A very long awkward silence followed this answer. As always, Kise had never understood how Midorima's mind works. And for the sake of preserving whatever brain cells that he still had, he would rather not know. "Is that it?" Kise walked towards Midorima. "You told everyone you didn't want to see the game, but you came anyway?"

"Don't say that! I just happened to be in the area!" Midorima retorted defensively.

"Your house isn't anywhere near here." Kise pointed out. "But it seems like we're not the only ones interested in this match." The blonde jerked his chin towards a corner where a certain redhead was standing. "So? How's the game?"

"Nothing special." Midorima sighed, replacing his sunglasses with his own glasses. "This is ridiculous. Aomine doesn't seem to be here, but they can barely keep up." He glanced at Tamaki who is on the bench. "Well, Tamaki isn't playing, so I'm not surprised." He commented.

"Aominecchi's not here?" Kise asked, surprised. "Well, they've just scored. They're just getting started."

Midorima gave Kise a weird look. Has he forgotten just who else Touou had, besides from Aomine? "Have you forgotten, Kise?" he asked. "Touou has Momoi as well." He glanced at the pink haired girl down on Touou's bench. "She is not just a manager. During middle school, she helped us out many times. In other words, if she's your opponent, she becomes exceptionally hard to deal with."

"I see. Momocchi, huh?" Kise mused. "Come to think of it, she's known Aominecchi since they were little, hasn't she?" He asked, remembering something that Aomine had said once during their Teiko days. "And wasn't she and Tamacchi particularly close? They're best friends, aren't they? What if she can't play seriously against her school?"

"Well, even if that's the case, it's all the more then." Midorima said, glancing at the two girls on their individual team benches. "Even if Tamaki isn't playing today, she would never go easy on her school. Momoi's role may be different, but her attitude towards basketball is no different from an athlete's. She would never intentionally lose a basketball game. Besides, I'm sure that Tamaki wouldn't want Momoi to do that as well."

* * *

"Oh dear…" Akashi sighed to himself in his corner, his eyes studying the match carefully, glancing at his cousin and the former manager of his old team occasionally. _'It's true that most people tends to underestimate Momoi the same way that they underestimates Tama – just because of the fact that they're girls, thinking of them as just a pretty face. And I guess in a way that they're right about that. As long as they're not in a game, that is.'_

**XXXXXX**

"Uh oh…" Tamaki muttered to herself as she noted to herself that Touou seems to be able to read their movements and patterns – even new moves that had never been shown in a match before. She now had an idea how Seiho had felt when _they_ have used the information that they've gotten, and used it to counter them. _'This isn't good. This is definitely Satsuki's work.'_ She thought, glancing at the pink haired girl on the opposing bench. _'Having her as an opponent is definitely not good for us. But…'_ Tamaki frowned to herself.

"We must have been researched by that girl," said Riko, smiling furiously, trying to keep a calm façade despite her inner turmoil. The rest of the boys on the bench inched away from their coach slowly, not wanting to be in the line of the crossfire. "Momoi is an information gathering specialist. She's an intelligence agent."

All eyes turned towards Tamaki as one who didn't take her eyes off the match in the least, trying to see as much as she could at once, her mind working furiously. "In a way, you're right about Satsuki," said Tamaki grimly. "But like the Generation of Miracles, Satsuki isn't a normal manager either." She sighed. "You'll soon see what I mean later. And besides, I don't think that this is enough to beat them down. Seirin isn't as weak as that." She smiled a small smile, believing in her teammates.

Riko grinned. "What Tamaki-chan said," she proclaimed proudly. "We're going to keep playing like this! No matter how accurate their information is, it's from the past. Humans grow. Don't act like you understand when you don't even realise that!"

"I hope that that is the case," said Tamaki, and Riko looked at her in curiosity. "If that is the case, then it'll be for the best. But…"

* * *

"Normally, when confronted with a play missing from their data, a person cannot handle it." Midorima said solemnly. "However, Momoi analyzes the data she collects and even reads how her opponents will grow."

* * *

'_And in the first place, it is Satsuki who had taught me the basics of analyzing.'_ Tamaki thought. _'Their height, weight, strengths, weaknesses, personality, habits… She gathers all of it and analyzes, interpret, and narrow the results. And the last trick is intuition itself.'_

Tamaki's play style might have been developed over the years, but the basics of it had been taught to her by her cousin and even by her best friend. Tamaki had always been observant, but those traits had just helped her in her basketball.

'_But…'_ Tamaki glanced at Satsuki. _'Like with the misdirection style, I can evolve it further, and make it my own!'_

**XXXXXX**

"Isn't this looking bad for Seirin?" Kise wondered.

"Well, I guess so." Midorima said unconcernedly. "But if it's anyone who can outdo Momoi, it's Tamaki." He said, glancing at the teal haired girl.

"What?" Kise was confused.

"In our freshman year, before we even had Coach Kashitori, it is Momoi and Tamaki who are the training managers for our team." Midorima explained. Kise had come in their second year after all. He wouldn't know what had happened during their freshman year, since no one would talk about that dark period of Teiko. "Tamaki didn't become the vice captain of the Generation of Miracles for her basketball skill alone. Like Momoi, she is an expert in data analyzing, and she is extremely observant. Why do you think that there is no one apart from Aomine who can best her one-on-one? Their skills, personality, weight, height, strengths, weaknesses, habits… Tamaki reads them all, even their movements just by body language alone, and uses it against them!" Midorima told a shocked Kise. "It's just that she rarely uses it, especially during third year. In fact, she doesn't need to. It is only during clutch time that she uses that ability of hers. But once she uses it…" Midorima glanced at the teal haired girl, narrowing his eyes. "No one can stop her. Even if Tamaki can't play right now, it doesn't mean that she can't help her team."

**XXXXXX**

The end of the first quarter had a game count of 25-21 with Touou in the lead, much to the displeasure of both coaches.

"This isn't looking good." Hyuuga panted. "They've completely read our movements. We're barely hanging in there, and Aomine isn't here yet. If he's here… I don't even want to think about it." He groaned.

"It is true that she had been researching the second years, and had at least an entire year's data on you." Riko said. "But there is considerably less data on Kagami-kun, and thus, whether we can beat Touou or not will depend on him."

"But more importantly, I think I might have an idea on how to deal with them," said Tamaki slowly, and everyone turned towards the teal haired girl at those words. "Give me some time. I need time to read and analyze their movements. I might not be up to Satsuki's level in analyzing and breaking down information, but I have one ability that she doesn't have." Tamaki's eyes were dark. "I didn't become the vice captain of the Generation of Miracles for my basketball skills alone. Though whether we can bring back a victory today or not…" She looked at Kagami who grinned. "…will entirely be up to you."

**XXXXXX**

The second quarter had Seirin landing in an even worse pinch, especially after Riko was forced to substitute Kagami for Koganei, after realising that his legs haven't been healed. Tamaki thought that Riko looked ready to breathe fire after realising that Kagami had been pushing himself after his legs have 'healed', trying to catch up on lost training time.

Didn't that idiot realise that even after his legs have healed, he still has to take it easy and _not_ push himself? And he wonders why his legs weren't fully healed yet. Honestly, that idiot really only has basketball on the brain!

"Tamaki-chan, are you ready yet?" Riko asked, turning towards the teal haired girl who hadn't taken her eyes off of the match even once. Her hopes were dashed when Tamaki shook her head.

"At the very least, it'll take me at least two quarters to know their movements." Tamaki answered the coach without taking her eyes off the match, the pen in her right hand moving at an incredible rate, scribbling down whatever that she could see on the clipboard that she had in her hand. _'Number 9, Shooting Guard.'_ She thought, glancing at the Touou freshman who kept on apologizing non-stop, even apologizing every single time that he made a basket. _'But unlike most Shooting Guards, his speed seems a lot faster. Number 6, the center. Personality wise, he seems similar to Kagami-kun.'_ Tamaki sighed. _'As expected from Satsuki. She has them all well trained. This is going to be a tough one.'_

**XXXXXX**

"Seirin usually scores around Tamaki, but this time around, because she can't play, they've changed their attack pattern to scoring around Kagami. But the movements of the remaining four second years are all known to Momoi. As expected, the hole left behind by Kagami is huge." Midorima remarked.

Kise watched the ongoing match below him in silence for several moments. "And the score gap is getting wider," he noted, with the game score currently at 38-29. "This isn't good."

"And it looks like Tamaki is on the move as well." Midorima noted, noticing Tamaki's tense posture, along with the fact that she hadn't taken her eyes off of the match even once ever since the start of the second quarter.

* * *

Akashi smirked from his corner, noticing what his cousin is currently doing. "I see…" he muttered. _'It's been quite some time since I've seen her analytical and observational abilities at work. Tama is the only person whom Momoi has never been able to read. She has exceptional observational abilities. She can read someone easily with just a look. It's been a while since she has to use this. But now that she's been forced to bring it out…'_

Akashi frowned. _'But still, data can only go so far. There are times when skill goes above data, and this match might just be one of those times. Especially once Daiki gets here. We didn't take the middle school championship title for three years in a row for nothing after all. If Seirin wants even a fighting chance against Touou, and whether they will bring home a victory or not, it will all be up to that Kagami guy.'_

**XXXXXX**

Kagami gritted his teeth, watching his teammates getting pummeled on the court by the Touou players. Though to be fair, the Touou players are trying hard as well, being pressurized by the Seirin players.

"Please, just hang in there!" Kagami growled. He then glanced at the teal haired girl seated next to him, as Riko busied herself with taping Kagami's legs so that he could go back to the court. With Tamaki not being in any condition to play, it all falls upon Kagami now. _'Tamaki is fighting too! We'll win here! I'll make sure of it!'_

"_I'll beat him and wake him up." Kagami vowed. "You can't help me this time around, but I'll fight for your share too." He grinned a feral grin._

'_I made a promise to her.'_ Kagami thought, studying the teal haired girl. Tamaki looks tense, with the pen in her hand scribbling at an incredible rate. _'I'll fulfill it! All along, she has been the one watching my back, and I can't even begin to count the number of times when she'd saved me and Seirin! Now, it's time that I at least repay that favour a little.'_

"Calm down, Kagami!" Tsuchida told the redhead. "Have a little more faith in everyone!" He glanced at the teal haired girl. "Tamaki, not done yet?" He received a shake of the head.

"We'll beat Touou with team play!" Kagami vowed. The fact that Seirin is getting pummeled out there with Touou's _one-on-one_ play just plain pisses Kagami off. That, and the slap that he still remembered he had gotten from Tamaki during the Shutoku match when he tried to play a one man game by himself.

"That should do it!" Riko announced, finishing the last of the tapings. "This should at least get you through this game. You can go now!"

"All right!" Kagami cheered, putting his shoes back on as quickly as he could, and throwing his sweatshirt off, ready to head back to the court. "Thank you."

"…I'm sorry." A soft apology from Riko stopped Kagami in his tracks, along with the others still on the bench, apart from Tamaki who currently had her full concentration on the match, but still had an ear out for Riko's words. "The truth is that I don't want to send out an injured player. Tamaki-chan is already injured badly enough, and I don't want to send her out on the court with her wrist in the condition that it now is in. But if we can't have her on the court, then we can only pin our hopes on you. We can't beat Touou without you. We've been calling it team play, but it's actually a style that someone had taught me." Riko admitted, recalling a certain founder of the Seirin basketball team, and how he had 'persuaded' her to be the coach of the basketball team last year. "I'm not strong enough to draw out everyone's full potential, so I have to rely on you, even though you're injured."

"What are you saying? That's not like you." Kagami scoffed, and Riko turned towards him in surprise. "You make practice menus, you scout, you give us instructions on the bench, and even massage and tape us. If anything, you do too much. You're the coach."

The call for member change was sounded just then.

"I think that you're a good coach," said Tamaki bluntly, and Riko turned towards the smaller girl in surprise. There is a small smile on Tamaki's face. "You do everything that a coach has to do, and more. Besides, when I was in Teiko, the Generation of Miracles started out without a proper coach as well." Riko looked bewildered at this piece of information. "We actually trained ourselves before we got an official basketball coach about halfway in the school year. There were issues going on in Teiko at that time, hence the delay. But what I'm saying is, you shouldn't sell yourself short. Believe in yourself. I'm sure that everyone on the team believes that you're a good coach."

Riko grinned. "Well then, go get them, Kagami!" she told the redhead.

"Got it!" Kagami grinned.

An arm was suddenly wrapped around Kagami's neck from behind. "That's it, show some spirit, so you can entertain me, even a little." Aomine Daiki grinned a feral grin at Kagami, much to the redhead's shock, as he didn't even notice the tanned player. This is like Tamaki when he had first met her all over again.

Though with Aomine's tone, Kagami can replace the words 'you can entertain me' with 'I'll crush you', especially with the look in his eyes that looks ready to kill Kagami. And to this day, Kagami still has no idea what he had done to piss Aomine off. He only know that it has something to do with Tamaki, but for the life of him, he can't remember what he had supposedly done or hadn't done to Tamaki that had Aomine wanting to beat the life out of him.

"You bastard!" Kagami jerked backwards, a feral growl nearly escaping from his throat. "Aomine!"

Everyone on the court was shocked that Aomine had finally made an appearance near the end of the second quarter, particularly those from Seirin. Tamaki sighed to herself. _'Uh oh. He's here. The real battle starts from here. Even all the data in the world would be of no use against a player of his caliber. Daiki is one of those types of players that rises above data.'_

Aomine caught Tamaki's eye and smiled softly at her; a smile and a look that he only reserved for the teal haired girl, and no one else. As all the others on the court were too busy gaping at Aomine's sudden appearance, no one noticed the look that he gave a player on the opposing team.

"You're finally here?" Imayoshi sighed, noticing the presence of his team's ace. "Hurry up and get ready so that you can play!"

"What?" Aomine whined. "But you're winning." He eyed the electronic scoreboard that currently read the game count as 49-39, with Touou in the lead, and with barely a minute to go before the end of the second quarter. "There's only one minute left in the second quarter, anyway."

"No, you have to play." Touou's coach, Harasawa Katsunori, a smart looking middle aged man in a formal suit with black slightly curly hair, told Aomine.

"Fine." Aomine sighed, walking towards Touou's team bench, and dumping his bag onto it. He then pulled off his team jacket, tossing it towards Satsuki who caught it easily. "Well then…" He smirked a dark smirk at Kagami. "Let's go."

'_I'll teach you to touch what is mine.'_ Aomine's eyes were almost telling Kagami. And if looks could kill, Kagami would be six feet under.

Satsuki who knew her childhood friend well almost groaned at that look.

It may seem strange to some, but Aomine Daiki never likes to share his things, especially his girlfriend. Hence why Aomine is usually quite agitated back during their Teiko days whenever Kise hangs around Tamaki way too much, and acts too touchy-feely towards the teal haired girl, much to Aomine's chagrin.

And after the incident with Haizaki, and then with Hanamiya during the Winter Cup tournament during their second year, like with most of their other teammates, Aomine would never forgive anyone who so much as gives Tamaki one scratch. It is already a miracle in itself that he didn't kill Kise for nearly giving Tamaki a concussion during the Kaijo versus Seirin practice match. And the fact that Kagami had nearly flown at Tamaki during the Shutoku versus Seirin match… Well…

And to start with, Aomine had never been Kagami's greatest fan because of his opinion that Kagami spends _way too much time _with the teal haired girl, and the fact that he kept letting Tamaki get hurt time and again.

And yes, a jealous Aomine Daiki is not a nice opponent on the court. He is already a scary enough player without having jealousy as motivation to win a match. Momoi Satsuki wonders for a moment if she shouldn't start praying for Kagami's soul.

She is pretty sure that Kagami won't come out of this unscathed.

* * *

_A/N: Right, I'm sorry for the recent shorter than usual chapters. But the chapters consisting of the Touou versus Seirin match will be considerably shorter than usual, as Tamaki isn't playing in it! And I don't want to focus too much on Kagami! I'm not his greatest fan, as you might have realised by now._

_Anyway, I have a few new ideas for KnB stories. One being a Tamaki going to Touou fic. Seriously, I'm starting to believe that I'm suffering from an illness otherwise known as Kuroko no Basuke Obsession. Why else would I start having the urge to start writing all those stories? Another story idea is like some sort of RPG universe – an idea that I got after seeing all these RPG pictures of the GoM on Tumblr. And the third being an idea that a reviewer had given me some time back about Momoi having had enough of Aomine's holier than thou attitude in third year, and promptly followed Kuroko to Seirin._

_So once again, I'm sorry for the shorter than usual chapter, and if it seems a little rushed. Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update! And also, next week's chapter might be delayed by a few days because of personal issues._


	15. Sorry, Not a Chapter! But It's Important

**Author's Note:**

Sorry folks, it's not a chapter. This is kind of an announcement for a delayed chapter to probably next weekend. I'm literally hacking my lungs up as I sit here writing this, as I've just been to the doctor two days ago, and he diagnosed me with bronchitis – lung infection. It's still in the mild stages, so it isn't too bad _yet,_ but the medication literally caused me to be quite groggy, and I can't even control my muscle movements properly.

So, sorry for the disappointment, but I promise you a longer chapter than the previous one for next week. This author's note will be deleted once I upload the next chapter.

Also, there will be another original chapter after the Seirin versus Touou match, with a chapter involving a GoM's sleepover night! And on that note, who do you want Momoi to be paired with? I really don't want to leave her out of the loop, as she is Tamaki's best friend after all.

And on a side note, I've just come across this really wonderful site Wattpad, and I've signed up an account with them. It's a simply wonderful site that allows you to 'publish' your books online, and it's totally FREE! I would really appreciate it if you guys could read some of my stories up there, and let me know what you think, or better yet, help me to get the word out. Let's just say that I have a severe LACK of responses for my stories!

The link to my Wattpad profile is on my profile page, right at the top in case you wanted to know, under the heading 'Link to Sites'. For some reason, I can't put the link on here. And since Wattpad doesn't really allow me to write my bio for as long as I want to, here are some upcoming Wattpad stories after I'm done with at least one of them:

_Into the Ashes_

The humans have always lived in peace and harmony together with the inhabitants of the night, also otherwise known as the Moon Society – the vampires, the dhampirs, the feys, the werewolves and even the elves. There is only one rule for both species: no experiments of any sort are to be conducted on any member of the Moon Society. It's their most absolute law. But a human scientist broke that taboo when he experimented on a child of a powerful esper and a vampire, thus awakening his latent abilities – abilities that might just prove to be too much for him to control.

Now years later, Ethan Blake is now a student at the White Cross Academy – the only school in the land where humans and the inhabitants of the night interacts and studies today. But just why is it that the Moon students (the inhabitants of the night) have been watching him closely? And why does he find Leia, a dhampir at the school so familiar?

_No Return_

There is an urban legend about a mysterious ship. It is said that once every ten years, nine of the people that board the ship that takes off at exactly 4PM will never return alive. A legend that no one had believed might just turn out to be true.

The search for their missing siblings brought student Lena and private investigator Alec to a mysterious ship known as the Atgriešanās, when they have received two tickets for the cruise liner in the post, with a note stating that what they are searching for is aboard the ship.

But little did Lena and Alec realise that those who boards the ship of Atgriešanās will never leave alive from the Ship of No Return.

_Beyond the Gate_

Leia is your typical seventeen-year-old schoolgirl, with only one thing that sets her apart from the rest. She had the ability to see the inhabitants of the netherworld, and to send them to the afterlife, and also to exorcise them. An ability like that only made Leia an outcast, and sometimes, that ability is more trouble than it seems.


	16. Puppeteer Machinator

Hey, thanks for all the reviews despite the last update being not a new chapter! Well, my bronchitis seems to be getting from bad to worse though, and I'm literally hacking my lungs up every single time I even took a step out of my house or even entered an air-conditioned room! And it is the start of the new school year, and all my lecture halls are fully air-conditioned! Oh dear. I foresee a two hour session of non-stop coughing every single time.

_Tamaki's strategy:_ Don't worry, she will come up with a plan in this chapter. Though for readers of my Prince of Tennis story, you might find the strategy part a tad familiar… I always did find Momoi's analyzing skills superb, and find it sad that the anime/manga didn't have someone who could equal her. Thus, Tamaki will be Seirin's version of Momoi. She didn't become the vice captain of the Generation of Miracles for nothing, you know?

_Aomine and Tamaki:_ The two of them are still professionals on the court, thus, they knew how to put basketball and their personal life separate. Why else would Tamaki and Aomine still bother to meet up even though both their schools are technically arch rivals/enemies?

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Fifteen: Puppeteer Machinator**

"_She's the only one whom I can never read, even back in Teiko." - Momoi Satsuki_

**XXXXXX**

The buzzer went off as Touou called for a member change with Aomine Daiki's arrival.

Tamaki didn't betray any emotion on her face, but inside, she is worried. She knew better than anyone else just how powerful Aomine can be on the court. Before the two have started dating not even a month ago, they have been partners and best friends first and foremost. Like how Aomine knew her basketball style and play inside out, _she_ knew Aomine inside out as well, even right down to the most ridiculous thing.

And Tamaki must be deaf and dumb to _not_ see that Aomine seems to have some grudge against Seirin, especially Kagami. The teal haired girl had a suspicion that it might have something to do with the two matches that she had gotten injured in, and the fact that Kagami had almost flown at her during the Seirin versus Shutoku match. And this is not including the fact that Aomine had never been Kagami's greatest fan from the very first moment when the tanned teen had first laid eyes on the redhead.

It might just be his green-eyed monster speaking however…

'_Ten points behind, huh?'_ Tamaki mused, glancing at Aomine who did some light stretches before heading out to the court, with just thirty seconds to spare in the second quarter. _'This isn't good. Daiki arrived at the worst possible time. And like always, he had that insane aura about him.'_ She glanced at Aomine before her eyes flickered to her teammates on the court who were staring at Aomine with wariness and a slight flicker of fear visible in their eyes.

That is nothing new unfortunately.

If it has been any other member of the Generation of Miracles like Kise, Midorima, Tamaki herself, or even Murasakibara, they would not have such a response from the opposing team. But Aomine is different. He had been the ace of the Generation of Miracles for a reason. And he had been the first among them to blossom and evolve his skills in basketball to what they are today. Even his own teammates tend to be wary of him because of his overwhelming power and skill in basketball. And now, as Tamaki glanced at the Touou players, especially the one that was subbed out so that Aomine could play, she can see why Aomine had grown to hate basketball if he creates fear in people like this.

'_So this is Aomine Daiki.'_ Hyuuga thought to himself, the Seirin captain watching Aomine warily as the tanned player walked past him.

'_Even normal basketball players like us can tell that he's different, even without the coach's special eyes.'_ Izuki thought nervously, and beside him, Mitobe swallowed nervously. Even the usual silent player was unnerved just by the very presence of the Generation of Miracles' ace. _'Is this…what Tamaki had meant?' _The point guard wondered, remembering Tamaki's words at the time when the entire Seirin team had discussed about their upcoming match against Touou, and Tamaki's foreboding words at that time had disturbed the Seirin point guard.

"_We might be in trouble with the match against Touou." Tamaki said seriously, and everyone turned towards the teal haired girl. "Aomine-kun is dangerous. He is insanely strong. I can't exactly describe to you his level of strength. It is something that you'll understand only if you see it for yourself."_

Kagami meanwhile was keeping his eyes on Aomine, feeling a sense of foreboding building up within him. It is just like the time when Aomine had challenged him in the street park a few weeks ago. He had that insane aura about him that Kagami had never sensed around anyone before. Even Tamaki, Kise and Midorima, fellow members of the Generation of Miracles never had that dangerous aura around them the same way that Aomine had. With Aomine, it is more like Kagami felt like it is impossible to win against him.

'_I never even met anyone this good in America.'_ Kagami thought warily, studying Aomine as much as he could, his eyes flickering occasionally to Tamaki who seemed a little worried and concerned. After having played with her in the same team for this long, even Kagami would be able to tell her moods apart by now. _'It is like that time back in the park. I don't feel like I could win against him. So this is the strongest regular of Tamaki's middle school, one of the five prodigies – the ace of the Generation of Miracles!'_

Aomine Daiki had a dark smirk on his face as he glared daggers and knives and anything that is sharp and pointy at one Kagami Taiga. Not to be deterred, Kagami glared back. On Seirin's bench, Tamaki almost sweat dropped as she saw the glaring competition between both their teams' aces. One could almost see sparks and lightning flying between both their eyes.

Over with Touou, Susa blinked slowly as he saw the 'confrontation' between both their teams' freshmen aces, and the third year turned towards their pink haired manager. "Momoi-san, did something happen between them both?"

Satsuki sighed. "Well, something like that," she muttered, wondering if she should pray for Kagami or not. The match set aside, he might have to deal with something worse than just losing the match if he is facing Aomine.

Meanwhile, over with Riko, the coach was concerned. _'Not only did we fail to get ahead, but we're ten points behind. He got here at the worst possible timing.'_ She looked at Aomine warily. _'And we still need to buy Tamaki-chan some time.'_ The brunette glanced at the teal haired girl. _'We can only depend on whatever plan that she had in time now.'_

"I was wondering what kind of face you'd make here." Aomine told a scowling Kagami. He smirked. "I like it. You look ready to go. Show me." He gestured with a 'come forward' gesture with his right hand. "Show me the strength of the new 'light'." His eyes flickered towards Tamaki before going back to Kagami.

Kagami scowled even deeper. "Even if she can't play on the courts right now, Tamaki isn't entirely useless," he told Aomine who scowled at him.

"I know that." Aomine scowled. "How long do you think I knew Tamaki? I played with her on the same court, and the same team for _three years._ I know what she can do. Even off the court, she is a scary enough opponent. Well, I more or less understand what you want to say. But you'll have to show me that with your play. If you have anything to say to me, say it after you beat me. Though that is if you can do it." He told Kagami, only succeeding in pissing off the short tempered redhead.

* * *

"Huh?" Kise blinked in confusion as the second quarter resumed play, with the ball changing hands several times before finally ending up in Sakurai's possession. The majority of the players of both teams have ended up on one side of the court, with Aomine and Kagami taking the other side. "This is… Isolation?" The blonde said slowly, having seen this technique happen only a few times throughout his time in Teiko, as there are few schools who can actually match them in terms of skill, especially when it comes to Aomine.

"In order to allow special players to move freely, the remaining players gather to one side." Midorima mused, looking ridiculous to anyone watching, especially with his 'lucky item' in one hand. "There are several reasons to use this technique, but in this situation, it's exactly what it looks like. In other words, it's a one-on-one between both teams' aces."

"But this time, Seirin might be in serious trouble though." Kise said, glancing at the said team on the court. "Out of all of us in the Generation of Miracles, Aominecchi is the only one whom Seirin definitely needs Tamacchi's help and support to beat. But for this match, she definitely can't play." He glanced at the teal haired girl.

"Seirin might be in trouble now." Midorima admitted.

* * *

'_And they're not the only ones fighting as well.'_ Akashi mused, glancing at his cousin who is currently sitting on Seirin's bench.

Tamaki's pen had finally stopped moving for the first time ever since the start of the second quarter, but Akashi isn't fooled, as he can see that Tamaki had a look of utmost concentration on her face, even as she took in everything that is currently happening on the court. Her basketball style and skill isn't what makes her as feared as she is now. Only Akashi and perhaps Aomine knew the extent of Tamaki's true skill.

_Manipulation._

It isn't a skill that she used often, if at all, but Tamaki could easily manipulate or even control the flow of the game during a match, forcing it to turn into her own team's favour, or even equal the pace, depending on how she takes it. It isn't something that just anyone can do. It takes an extreme high level skill of observation in order to be able to do something like that. That, and along with Tamaki's skill of misdirection.

'_And like Satsuki, Tama has an uncanny skill in analyzing.'_ Akashi thought. _'The only problem now is if she can utilise it enough to help her team, with the lack of information that she had on Touou.'_ He glanced at the Touou team.

**XXXXXX**

The intermission before the second half of the match between Seirin and Touou had both teams retiring back to their individual locker rooms to replenish their energy, and also to gather for a quick strategic meeting.

"Come on now, it's too early to relax." Touou's coach, Harasawa Katsunori reprimanded his team, especially after a minor scuffle had broken out among the regulars over some honey soaked lemons. "Let's talk about the second half."

"I'll pass." Aomine yawned, making his way towards the door of the locker room, much to Wakamatsu's displeasure. "I'll make all my shots in the next quarter. That should do it, right?"

"Aomine, you bastard!" Wakamatsu looked close to bursting a blood vessel.

"As long as you understand." Katsunori ignored Wakamatsu's outburst. That had unfortunately been an ongoing thing ever since Aomine was first introduced to the team. And the one that had to endure Wakamatsu's daily rants about their freshman ace's horrible attitude is none other than the poor Touou captain himself. Katsunori wished for the umpteenth time that the Generation of Miracles' player whom he had originally scouted for Touou hadn't turned down his invitation. "Make sure you go and warm up."

"Okay."

Aomine then stepped out of the locker room, before a rather annoyed Momoi followed her childhood friend out, probably with another lecture in mind.

"Coach!" Wakamatsu turned towards his coach in fury, close to approaching his limit when it comes to just how much he could take from Aomine.

Imayoshi almost groaned to himself. Just how many times does this makes now? He had a feeling that he'll be listening to Wakamatsu's complaints about a certain arrogant freshman ace up until the day that he graduated! Now why did he suggest Wakamatsu as his successor to the captain position again?

"Wakamatsu, don't make such a big deal every time." Imayoshi sighed tiredly.

"But that attitude of his!" Wakamatsu barked. "Don't you think he's too arrogant?" He demanded.

"Shouldn't we be worrying more about the second half right now?" Imayoshi sighed. Why oh why is he always playing peacemaker between Wakamatsu and Aomine? He'd already long lost count of the number of times when he had to break up arguments between them that might scale to being a full-out fight.

Wakamatsu grunted before throwing his towel onto the bench and dropping himself down on it. "Is there really a need for it? We're already dominating Seirin even before that bastard showed up. And now that Aomine is here, there is simply no chance that we would lose. Much as I hate to admit it, he's strong." He admitted.

"No. There is someone of concern on the Seirin team." Katsunori informed his team, and as one, all of them turned towards their coach. Their coach twirled a strand of his curly hair that fell down onto his forehead – a habit that Touou knew their coach only did when he's stressed or concerned.

"Who?" Susa Yoshinori asked in confusion. He certainly doesn't know anyone who is worth worrying about on the Seirin team except for perhaps that Kagami guy. Seriously, is that crazy redhead really a freshman?

Imayoshi sighed, knowing who his coach was talking about. After all, he had been there as well when she had turned down their invitation politely. He wished that that girl had accepted their invitation so that they wouldn't have to invite Aomine. It might have saved him a few headaches, as that girl is politer than Aomine, and had a gentle nature – unlike that of her other teammates who are too arrogant for his liking.

"That little miss on the Seirin bench. The one with the teal hair." Imayoshi told his surprised team.

"Teal hair? Oh. That girl." Wakamatsu recalled seeing a rather cute and petite looking girl in street clothes sitting on the Seirin bench. He had taken an interest, as she wasn't wearing a uniform or even a jersey. That, and she is pretty cute… "What about her? Isn't she just their manager?"

"Wakamatsu, at the very least, _pay attention_ to the videos of our opponents' matches!" Imayoshi sighed in dismay. Will Touou really be okay with him as their future captain? "That girl is not their manager. She is a player!"

"_What?"_

"A girl is a starting member?" Sakurai asked with interest only to flinch back as all attention was focused on him. "S-Sorry!"

"She is originally the member of the Generation of Miracles whom we have approached even before we have approached Aomine." Katsunori told his surprised team. The ace of the Generation of Miracles wasn't Katsunori's first choice? "I'm sure that you must have heard of her at least once. She is the 'Mirage' player, also better known as the Phantom player of the Generation of Miracles. The Number 2 player in middle school basketball, also the vice-captain of the Generation of Miracles."

Wakamatsu looked as if he'd just swallowed a lemon. An extremely _sour_ lemon. The rest of the regulars and Touou players weren't any better.

As long as you're a basketball player, you're bound to hear of all the stories and rumours circulating around the Phantom Player of the Generation of Miracles, especially near the end of their second year, and then the start of their third year when they'd been at the peak of their play. If you hadn't, then you must be living under a rock for the past three years.

"But there is one talent that Kuroko Tamaki is known for, even back during their Generation of Miracles days." Imayoshi told his surprised team. "She is the brain behind Teiko's victories throughout their three years of middle school. From the rumours, and what I'd heard from Momoi, the team just followed what she told them to do, and it brought them victory after victory."

"But-But-But I thought Momoi was their manager?" Wakamatsu spluttered.

"She _is._ But her job is just to scout and gather information. She relays that information to the captain and vice-captain of the team, and lets them do the rest." Imayoshi explained calmly. "If Kuroko Tamaki is on the opposing team, then it isn't good news for us."

**XXXXXX**

In Seirin's locker room, it is deadly silent.

It is eerily similar to the atmosphere during the Seirin versus Shutoku match, though even back then, the situation wasn't as bad as it was now. At the very least, Seirin had Tamaki's support to fall back on back then if they couldn't rely on Kagami. But this time, they didn't have that!

"We're in a pinch, aren't we?" Koganei sighed, dropping his head in between his knees. "What should we do?"

Riko was silent for several moments before glancing towards the only other girl in the room. Tamaki is seated on the bench next to Izuki, her eyes scanning line after line in the notebook that she had in her right hand. "Tamaki-chan, how much more time do you need?" she asked at last.

Tamaki said nothing for several moments before she stood up suddenly. "Until the end of the intermission," she told the coach, much to everyone's surprise. The teal haired girl closed the notebook in her hand with a light snap, and she then moved towards the door. "Sorry, but can I have some time alone? I need to think."

Riko saw the steel glint in Tamaki's eyes before the teal haired girl left, and she would never admit it to anyone, but she got the chills just from seeing that frosty look in the normally impassive teal haired girl's eyes. Now she understood just why no one in the Generation of Miracles wanted to see her angry.

"She's angry." Kagami noted in surprise, staring at the door as it closed behind Tamaki.

The entire team turned towards the redhead as one. "Kagami, you can tell?" Hyuuga asked in surprise.

"Huh? What kind of question is that? Of course I could!" Kagami defended himself, almost like telling apart Tamaki's moods is something that anyone could do.

"And of course Tamaki-chan is angry." Riko sighed. "We're getting slaughtered out there. And that is _before_ Aomine-kun's arrival. And in just the thirty seconds that he is playing, we saw what he is capable of. And it probably isn't even all that he could do."

She received grim smiles from all around. Seirin soon learnt just why Aomine Daiki is the ace of the Generation of Miracles when the tanned teen had showed that he is fast, unbelievably fast, using a style and form that is incomprehensible to say the least. And they soon realised just why Tamaki is so worried about their upcoming match against Touou.

Midorima and Kise are right. They definitely _do_ need Tamaki's help and support if they're facing Aomine in a straight on fight.

"It is true, if Tamaki-chan is playing, we might at least stand a chance." Riko admitted, almost as if reading her players' minds. "But we certainly can't have her on the courts right now. That's why, if Tamaki-chan says that she has a plan, then I trust her. Throughout our time together, have any of Tamaki-chan's plans failed us yet?"

**XXXXXX**

'_Well, I got most of their movements and stats down pat.' _Tamaki thought, closing the notebook in her hand with a light snap, leaning against the wall of the darkened corridor. The teal haired girl then tilted her head back to look up through the glass panes of the ceiling where it showed the night skies. _'Another twenty minutes – two more quarters. Will there be enough time for us to clinch back a victory?'_ She wondered.

Tamaki had stopped using her superb analyzing skills that is said to be far above Satsuki's for a few reasons. One of those had been because as they entered their third year in middle school, the Generation of Miracles has no use for 'plans' any longer. Any game that they played will always end in them as the victor. Another reason had been that Tamaki herself didn't want to use it anymore. Her team had changed drastically back in third year _because_ of those skills of hers. They have dominated the competition during the first two years because of her skill.

The sounds of light approaching footsteps reaches Tamaki's ears just then, and the teal haired girl turned towards the source of the sound only to see a surprised looking Aomine Daiki standing there, half bathed in the moonlight.

"Hey." Aomine grinned at her sheepishly. "Didn't expect to see you here. Shouldn't you be with your team?"

"Strategic thinking," was Tamaki's answer even as she waved the notebook in her hand at him. It is during times like this – during their alone time, when she can see the old Aomine. It still gives her some hope – that Aomine will return to the old Aomine Daiki whom she once knew. "What about you?"

"Warm-ups." Aomine answered, doing some light stretching. "But it seems like I've misread your team a little." He admitted. "I should have shown up sooner. But…" He looked at Tamaki. "Want me to go easy on them?" He joked, knowing that he would never go through with it anyway.

"No way." Tamaki answered immediately. "Even if I'm on the court right now, I wouldn't want you to do that. If I'm your opponent, I wouldn't want you to go easy on me." She told her boyfriend. "That is the worst insult that you can give to a fellow basketball player."

Aomine smirked at Tamaki even as he approached her, practically barricading her in with his tall and lean body, one hand by the side of her head against the wall, with the tanned teen practically hovering above the petite and small teal haired girl.

"You always do know me best," he smiled at Tamaki who smiled back. He always did hate the fact that basketball players always gave up playing with him halfway. Tamaki never did that. But right now, she can't be a match for him right now.

"Aren't you a sweet talker?" Tamaki questioned, a small smile tugging at the edges of her lips. "And you came late, didn't you? You gave me all the time I needed. Get ready for the fight of your life in the second half."

Aomine smirked. "Heh. The true tactical ability of the 'Mirage' player of the Generation of Miracles…" he mused. "Now ain't this a treat? It isn't everyday when I get a taste of the tactical ability of Kuroko Tamaki." He bent his head down until his lips touch the other.

From within the shadows behind a pillar, Momoi Satsuki smiled to herself as she saw this small sweet scene. _'I guess I can save the lecture for later,'_ she thought to herself. _'Dai will be all right now.'_ She smiled as she spotted the shade of teal hair from behind Aomine's shoulder. _'His best remedy is right by his side right now. And as always, she's the only one whom I can never read, even back in Teiko.'_

**XXXXXX**

"Let the third quarter begin!"

The buzzer went off, and that was the signal for the start of the third quarter of the Seirin versus Touou match.

"I know it's inevitable, but without Tamaki, they would not be able to endure a game with Aomine in it." Midorima stated, studying the fast paced match currently going on below him in the court.

"You're right." Kise admitted even as Touou scored another basket. _'I know that there is no way that Tamacchi can play right now, but playing against Aominecchi without her is just too hard.' _He mused. _'But when I consider the rate of his growth, I get the feeling something's going to happen.'_

* * *

On the court, Aomine currently had possession of the ball, and is currently in a one-on-one face off against a clearly exhausted Kagami.

'_It'll be all him, not just now, but during the entire second half.'_ Riko thought nervously even as she eyed Aomine carefully. _'The ace of the Generation of Miracles, and a super scorer. Now we can only depend on Tamaki-chan's plan.'_ The brunette thought, glancing at the teal haired girl who is studying the match carefully. _'I hate to admit it, but not even I can come up with a plan like that, especially in just ten minutes! Is this her strength? Is that the secret behind Teiko's continuous victories for three years?'_

Izuki who was currently guarding Imayoshi glanced at Tamaki nervously before switching his focus back to the match on hand. _'I hate to admit it, but with just how Touou had researched us thoroughly, we can only stick to Tamaki's plan now. The real battle lies in the fourth quarter – whether we can just put what she told us to use.'_

'_We can't do anything against Aomine, that's why… It's up to you, Kagami!'_ Hyuuga thought, looking at the redhead. _'Like what we'd agreed earlier on, find a chance to put the plan in action, and grab back the flow of the game!'_

* * *

Everyone was taken aback as Aomine immediately took past Kagami with inhumane speed, heading for the basket. Just like near the end of the second quarter, the tanned teen is unbelievably fast!

'_Unlike with the rest of Touou, I only saw Daiki's play for thirty seconds during the second quarter. But like with Midorima-kun and Kise-kun, and the rest of the Generation of Miracles, there are times when ability precedes data, and this is one of those times.'_ Tamaki thought to herself in concern even as Mitobe and Tsuchida jumped up to block Aomine. _'And just like back in Teiko, most normal players has no chance to stop Daiki. Only someone of the Generation of Miracles' calibre will have an equal chance in stopping him.'_

* * *

"When it comes to movement, speed is not all about maximum speed." Midorima concluded. "Your acceleration from zero to max, and your deceleration from max to zero. Agility, how quick you are on your feet. Even among the Generation of Miracles, Aomine transcends the rest of us."

"Even Tamacchi's Mirage stands no chance against Aominecchi at times." Kise agreed, having seen the two practice at one time during their second year.

It is basically a battle of speeds then. Akashi wasn't pleased at the end of the practice when they have to replace half a dozen basketballs, as it was way too smooth to be able to be used again by the time that Aomine and Tamaki have ended their practice.

**XXXXXX**

Wakamatsu scowled as Aomine dunked the ball in, thus making the score 51-39 in Touou's favour. "Even I could do that." The blonde scowled even as Imayoshi gained possession of the ball.

No one on the Touou team noticed the slight glints in the eyes of every single Seirin member, even those on the bench. Satsuki is the only one who did, and she wondered the reason behind it.

Hyuuga smirked. _'Heh. Tamaki is one scary girl when she puts her mind to it. It is really happening as she said it would. Touou is now caught in her web.' _He thought, noting that Tsuchida had immediately appeared in front of Imayoshi before he could make a three pointer.

"_There are times when ability precedes data. And unfortunately, this is one of those times." Tamaki told the Seirin team. "Out of all the Generation of Miracles, Dai—Aomine-kun is the only one who can bypass my plans. And furthermore, I hadn't seen his skills since we've graduated from Teiko, so I can't say for sure just how much he had improved since. But like Kise-kun and Midorima-kun, he is sure to have improved lots. In terms of speed, his speed is enough to match mine when I am using Mirage. Thus, there is no way that you can beat him in speed." She told a shocked Kagami. "In that case, focus on the other members of Touou. Once Aomine-kun makes a point, without a doubt, the other players will switch back to defense. The first one to gain possession of the ball will be Number 4, the Touou captain, Imayoshi-san. Block him. His blind spot is his left side. And then, if he isn't given a chance to score, he will then pass an across court pass to—"_

"Wakamatsu!" Imayoshi shouted to the blonde Center who is currently running down the court. The Touou captain immediately threw the ball across the court towards the blonde.

"Yosh!" Wakamatsu grinned before he growled in anger as the silent Seirin player screened him. Mitobe Rinnosuke met his angry glare solemnly without flinching. "Damn it! Where did you come from?"

"—_screen him. This will be Mitobe-sempai's job." The silent Mitobe nodded in agreement. "After that, the ball will then be passed to—"_

"Sakurai!"

The ball was immediately passed to the Shooting Guard who caught it immediately. But before he could even attempt to shoot, Hyuuga had smacked it out of his hand, throwing it across the court towards Kagami who is running half down the court.

"Kagami!"

Wakamatsu was panting heavily. "What's going on?" he demanded. "They're not giving us a chance to score! It's almost like…"

"They know our movements." Imayoshi realised. The Touou captain glanced at the teal haired girl on Seirin's bench, and narrowed his eyes. _'Is this her work?'_

* * *

Akashi smirked. _'So it begins.'_

* * *

On Touou's bench, Satsuki glanced at Tamaki. _'So you're bringing it out already,'_ she realised. _'As expected, your tactical play is as fearsome as always. Thus… May the best person win.' _She smiled.

* * *

'_It really is happening as she said it would.'_ Riko realised, glancing at Tamaki. _'What a fearsome analyzing ability! In that sense, she might even be better than Momoi!' _She recalled what Tamaki had told the team during the intermission, and what her plan is.

"_Tamaki-chan, what do you have in mind?" Riko asked Tamaki. _

"_Well, it's not quite so much a plan." Tamaki admitted. "Like Satsuki, I can analyze and break down the opposing team's movements and techniques, but I can take it further one step that Satsuki can't. But while Touou had the advantage of being prepared against our techniques weeks in advance, we do not have that luxury. Thus, what I can do here is really more of a…training method, or a mini competition really, that Satsuki and I used to play when we were in Teiko." She looked at Riko in the eye. "Puppeteer Machinator."_

"_Puppeteer Machinator?" The Seirin team echoed as one. Even Kagami looked interested at this. Anything that concerns Teiko and the Generation of Miracles never turns out to be normal._

_Tamaki nodded. "In Teiko, due to the Generation of Miracles' flawless play, the other members of the basketball club never had a chance to participate in matches unless we arrange practice matches with other schools for them. Hence, to give them more exposure to matches, Satsuki and I thought up of this method. Every month, we will pit the non-regulars of Teiko in a mock match against each other. Satsuki will take on one team, and become their coach and manager for the day, whilst I will take the other team. That training regime is also used for Satsuki's and my benefit as well – we are also polishing our analyzing skills. If explaining in layman terms, it's like the team players are the puppets, and Satsuki and I the puppeteers. Hence the name, Puppeteer Machinator. We'll be taking a real gamble here though." Tamaki looked from face to face. "No doubt that Satsuki knows what I can do. We've been best friends for three years in middle school after all, and she had been our manager in Teiko. But like I said, there are times when ability precedes data, and it'll be your job to make that happen with what I can do."_

_There was silence for several moments. "Coach?" Hyuuga finally broke the silence._

_Riko sighed. "We don't have a choice. This is all that we have. Tamaki-chan, do what you can."_

Riko looked at Tamaki with a newfound respect for the small girl. _'I can see why she is the vice captain of the Generation of Miracles,'_ she thought. _'Maybe I should get Tamaki-chan to be our manager or something after this match.'_ She mused. _'But something bothers me about what Tamaki-chan said about Aomine-kun.'_

"_Right now, there is no known way to stop Aomine-kun." Tamaki said. "Thus, our best way to stop him is to lessen his chances of scoring. No matter what, do not let him get the ball."_

'_Aomine Daiki… Just how powerful is he?'_ Riko wondered.

**XXXXXX**

"Give me a break." Aomine scoffed, even as he looked down at a downed Kagami. "You think it's that easy to make a fast break?"

Kagami growled, glaring up at Aomine. _'It's just like Tamaki said! I can't match his speed! Before I knew it, he had already caught up with me! It's like Tamaki's Mirage all over again!'_

On the bench, Tamaki grew concerned as she noted the change of expression in Aomine's eyes. _'Uh oh,'_ she groaned inwardly.

She knows that look. It is rather akin to that of a cat that had just found a new toy. Aomine had just found someone who could interest him enough. In this case, Kagami. And he will try every way to break him. And to this day, Tamaki still has no idea just what Kagami had done to step on Aomine's toes.

"Enough." Aomine smirked a dark smirk. "Honest basketball just isn't for me. I applaud you and your team for managing to make use of what Tamaki had told you to stop us this much. But do you really think that that is enough to stop me?" Kagami stared in confusion. "Besides, I think that you need to learn to keep your filthy hands off of another person's property." Aomine scowled at Kagami fiercely, only making the redhead more confused. "I will show you something good for having entertained me this far."

Kagami frowned. _'He seems different,'_ he thought. _'But I'm starting to get a feel for his speed and rhythm.'_ He then moved along with Aomine as they both moved down the court. _'I'll stop him this time!'_

Kagami was taken aback as Aomine threw the ball from behind his back before Aomine spun around and grabbed it, moving down the court once more, taking advantage of Kagami's surprise.

* * *

"What are these movements?" Kise gasped, seeing a flurry of movements of limbs that Aomine is currently doing. In all his time at Teiko when practicing with Aomine, he had never seen that movement being utilised before. "I can't read them at all!"

Beside him, Midorima recognised those movements immediately. "That is…!" The green haired shooter gasped, his memory immediately taking him back to when he was a freshman in Teiko Middle School.

* * *

Akashi frowned. "So you're bringing it out, Daiki," he murmured. _'The one basketball style that had started off the basketball of the group of five that will later be known as the Generation of Miracles.'_

* * *

"The situation had just gotten worse." Tamaki muttered, much to Riko's confusion, along with the other three freshmen sitting on the bench. _'This isn't good. I didn't expect for him to use this old style that the basketball of the Generation of Miracles had started off from. As always, he had always been going above my calculations.'_

* * *

'_No!'_ Kagami realised, immediately recognising that flurry of movements. How many times had he seen it when he was in America, and how many times had he used it himself? _'The unconventional tricky movements. I've seen this plenty of times in America. It's street ball!'_ Kagami fell on his bottom even as Aomine moved past him, aiming for the goal.

"No, you don't!" Hyuuga roared even as the Seirin captain, Mitobe and Tsuchida moved to stop Aomine.

"Three guys?" Sakurai gasped in dismay.

On the Seirin bench, Tamaki sighed. _'No matter how many people there are, it won't stop Daiki,'_ she thought.

Aomine smirked as he leapt back down onto the court with the ball still in his possession, moving behind the goal, and shooting the ball above him. The ball then soared high into the air, going into the net from _behind_ the goal.

Loud cheers went up from the spectators.

"W-What was that?" Riko gasped. "Is this even possible?"

"That is street ball." Tamaki explained, her eye twitching. "A basketball style that had first started off the basketball styles of every single member of the Generation of Miracles, except for Kise-kun. A style that we had used during our freshman year." She looked at Riko in the eye. "Even way before we became known as the Generation of Miracles."

* * *

'_The style that we had started off using during the one month that we have just before the challenge match that we have against the seniors back then during our freshman year.'_ Midorima realised. _'A basketball style and a game that has no rules and no limits. A street style. An aggressive style that has no logic to it.'_

* * *

"The Generation of Miracles are full of ridiculous guys!" Kagami stated, and Aomine smirked at him.

"Why don't you admit it already? Without Tamaki, you don't even stand a chance against me." Aomine told Kagami, much to his annoyance, though the redhead admitted that it is the truth. "Kise and Midorima, and even Seiho… You Seirin only made it this far because Tamaki had been supporting you with her play!"

Kagami gritted his teeth in both fury and annoyance, and on the bench, Tamaki's eyes softened as she looked at the two males on the court – one being her current partner, her 'light', and the other being her former partner, and now her boyfriend.

"It is true. I admit that we would never have made it this far without Tamaki. But Seirin isn't a team of quitters, and there is no way that any of us will give up just like this!" Kagami growled. "Even right now, even though she can't be on the court supporting us like how she had always been, Tamaki is still fighting! She is not the type to just give up like this!"

Aomine twitched in annoyance. "I've played with her for three years. Even I know this much about her," he told Kagami curtly. "And I also know how formidable her tactical skills are. It is enough to put even Satsuki's to shame. But even all the data in the world is of no use against me. Tamaki didn't tell you?" He smirked a dark smirk, much to Seirin's confusion, along with Touou's.

Everyone was now listening in. The Generation of Miracles present at the match knew what is coming next, and what Aomine would say. It's not like it's a secret that the elegant and formidable basketball styles that the Generation of Miracles now possessed had originally derived from the style of street basketball.

"When she first started playing basketball at the age of five, it is not the style that she is using now. It is street ball!" Kagami was taken aback, along with every other. _What?_ The elegant and unique style of the Mirage player of the Generation of Miracles had originally derived from street basketball? "A game with no rules and no limits, with the only rule being that you use any method available to you to put the ball into the hoop." Aomine smirked darkly at Kagami. "Why do you think that the Generation of Miracles are as strong and well-known as we are now? When we'd first started out, our basketball is _street basketball._ During our freshman year, the streets are our court, and our opponents ourselves. This is the Generation of Miracles! All our play styles were derived from the style of street ball itself. Midorima's long distance shooting. Tamaki's style. Our captain's play. Murasakibara's defense technique. My play. All of those were originally derived from the style of street ball!" Aomine begun to dribble the ball on the court. "That's why… Show me then. The true strength of her new light. And let me show you just how useless you are without Tamaki."

**XXXXXX**

"Tamaki-chan?" Riko turned towards Tamaki even as Aomine and Kagami faced off against each other in a one-on-one once more. "What he said…"

"Is all true," was Tamaki's answer. "I won't go into details, but it is true that at the start of our freshman year at Teiko, many things happened. Unlike most basketball teams that have the support of their school, we didn't even have that at that time. For one month, we trained ourselves in street basketball. And it is true; _that_ is where our basketball styles stemmed from. Even my old style and current style… It derived from street basketball as well."

* * *

"In all sports, including basketball, fundamental movements and the ideal form have been polished throughout the sport's history." Midorima stated. "Because they have been refined to perfection, their options are limited and can be predicted. This gives rise to a strategic battle between the offense and defense. That is the game." He looked at Aomine on the court. "But he…"

"Street ball…" Kise mused.

Midorima said nothing for several moments. _'During freshman year, even though it is Akashi and Tamaki who have taught us the style of street ball, it had been Aomine at that time that can take it to a whole different level. After all, like Tamaki and Akashi, he grew up playing street ball. But unlike them, he played with the adults. Most basketball styles have patterns and habits, and thus, are easy to predict. Basketball analyzing works by breaking down those patterns and thus developing a counter for them. That is how Momoi and Tamaki's analyzing works. But if it is one style that analyzing can't work against, it is street ball. Just like how Tamaki is Aomine's Achilles heel, at the same time, he is hers.' _He thought, looking from Aomine to Tamaki, and back again.

* * *

On Touou's bench, Satsuki's eyes softened as she watched Aomine play the old basketball style that he had started out playing, and also why she had developed an interest and a passion for the sport since early childhood. The same sport that had brought her to her surrogate family, and also the one true friend that she had whom she knew will never hurt her.

'_He's been handling a basketball since before I can remember.'_ Satsuki thought, following Aomine's movements on the court with her eyes. _'He had always played on the street among adults. His ball handling plus his natural speed. A free spirited style.'_

* * *

"There is no form to Aomine's dribbling or shooting." Midorima stated. "He is limitless, impossible to defend against. He is the unstoppable scorer. The ace of the Generation of Miracles: Aomine Daiki."

"He's strong. That's why he's the ace." Kise concluded.

**XXXXXX**

'_What's with this guy?'_ Hyuuga thought in confusion even as the ball came towards his direction, and the Seirin captain stretched out his hands to grab the ball. _'His play is full of gaps.'_

The Seirin captain was taken aback as the ball was grabbed from him even before it even touches his fingertips, and Aomine had taken off down the court with the orange ball, moving with his insane speed as always. Speed that Hyuuga had only seen when Tamaki had used her Mirage during the Seirin versus Shutoku match.

'_Crap! It's an irregular change of pace!'_

Kagami growled low in his throat as he jumped up to block Aomine's shot. From the bench, Tamaki's eyes widened a slight fraction, as she could have sworn that the redhead had jumped even higher than usual.

'_But…'_ The teal haired girl eyed her teammate's calf muscles even as her teammates cheered at the top of their lungs. _'How much longer can he last like that? If Kagami-kun is taken out of this game as well… We're done for.'_

"Yeah. Yeah. You can jump high." Aomine drawled, leaning backwards whilst still in mid-air, his body almost parallel to the ground, the ball still in his hands. "But I'm tired of this." And the ball was then launched from Aomine's hands, much to Kagami's shock.

The ball soared past Kagami's fingertips easily, entering into the net, thus earning Touou another two points.

'_W-What was that?'_ Izuki gaped, wondering if his eyes aren't playing tricks on him. _'He scored with his body almost parallel to the ground!'_

Not far away, Hyuuga was in much the same state. _'Usually the best players shoot at a consistent height, but he's all over the place. And he doesn't miss!'_

'_Damn it! I can't predict what he's going to do next!'_ Kagami growled. _'And not even Tamaki can read his movements like she could the rest of the team. In that case, I just have to score more than him!'_

On the bench, Tamaki sighed as she watched Kagami trying to chase Aomine down as the latter stole the ball from the redhead. _'With your injury, there is no way that you can beat Daiki with speed,'_ she thought, even as the two aces jumped at the same time.

It is not that Tamaki doubted Kagami or even Seirin. It is just that she had more faith in Aomine's skills. That is all.

On the court, Aomine grinned even as the referee blew on the whistle, tossing the ball behind him that soared well above their heads, going into the net neatly. The tanned player smirked a dark smirk at Kagami.

"Didn't I tell you, you can't beat me," he said. "I'll crush you."

'_Is Kagami really this useless against him?'_ Izuki thought in shock, seeing Kagami not even able to stop Aomine. _'Even against Kise and Midorima, he stopped his opponents, no matter how strong they were. We thought he could do it again, but we were too naïve.'_

'_We thought that Tamaki was just exaggerating Aomine's skills.'_ Hyuuga thought in shock. _'But… This is unbelievable! How can there be such a difference in skill level between Aomine and Midorima? He's unstoppable!'_

**XXXXXX**

"He's too strong…" Furihata panicked, nearly pulling his hair out. "At the very least, if Tamaki is playing…"

"Don't even think about it." Riko barked at the scared first year. "She's not playing. Period." The coach clenched her hands into fists. "I'm not going to send her out with her wrist still injured!"

Not for the umpteenth time, Riko thanked her stars that she had specifically told Tamaki to _not_ bring her team jersey with her to the game. If Tamaki had brought it with her, she would probably already be out on the court, despite her injury.

"Coach, I'll suggest that we get prepared for the worst." Tamaki said suddenly, much to Riko's surprise. "If Kagami-kun can't stop Aomine-kun, or even figure out a way to stop him, then I don't see how we can win this game. Even spirit can only go so far. In a basketball match, ability counts as much as spirit. And unfortunately, the difference in skills is pretty obvious. Even you can see it."

Riko hated to admit it, but she knew that Tamaki is right. There are only a few minutes left to go in the third quarter, and they're already more than twenty points behind Touou. Even with Tamaki's plan, the best that they could do is only to stop the rest of the Touou players from scoring. They still do not have a plan to stop Aomine, and the tanned teen is simply too fast for them to be able to stop him. Tamaki had stated that the best way for them to stop Aomine right now is to make sure that he doesn't get the ball. But like with their match with Shutoku, it is easier said than done.

"It's only the third quarter!" Fukuda protested. "It's still too early—"

"No. Tamaki-chan is right," said Riko with a sigh. "As long as we can't figure out how to shut down Aomine-kun, there is no way that we can win."

"And this isn't like with Midorima-kun," said Tamaki. "To be honest, even if I am playing, I have no idea if I can stop Aomine-kun. Just like how I know him inside out, even right down to the most ridiculous thing, he knows me inside out too. If it is anyone who can stop my play, it is him."

"Isn't there anything that you can do, Tamaki-chan?" Riko asked nervously.

"I've already done all that I could," said Tamaki. "I'm sorry. But even there are limits to what I can do. The rest will be up to them. As long as they do not give up, there is still a chance. Though whether they will take that chance or not will be up to them." The teal haired girl looked at the ground with some sadness in her eyes, though it's not like the Seirin members currently on the bench could tell. _'Like I'd expected, my tactical plays can't help anyone. It can only ruin a team.'_

* * *

Akashi let out a sigh. _'It's over,'_ he decided. _'The victor of this match has been concluded.'_

* * *

"It's over." Kise sighed sadly. "And I thought that Seirin had put up a pretty good fight too. The victor of the match is now clear."

Midorima shifted his glasses. "What an unsightly match," he scoffed, but deep inside him, he wasn't happy at just how badly that Seirin had fared in the match against Touou. _'What are you going to do from now on, Tamaki?'_ He wondered, looking at the teal haired girl on the Seirin bench.

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki grabbed the ends of her jacket, as she watched the last few moments of the match before it would be concluded.

The Seirin players still on the court were still giving their all, but desperation could be clearly seen on their faces. Near the end of the third quarter, Riko was already forced to pull Kagami out thanks to his leg injury, despite the redhead's protests. Thus, Seirin has to make do with just their second years on the court.

Tamaki doesn't need to be a fortune teller or even use her analytical abilities to be able to predict the outcome of the match. It is already clear who the victor of this match will be. And with Kagami out of commission for the rest of the championship league just like her, thanks to his leg injury, it will be difficult for Seirin to even make it to the Nationals at this rate.

'_I'll admit defeat this time, Satsuki.' _Tamaki thought, her eyes flickering towards the pink haired girl on the Touou bench. _'But next time, I will be the one to win.'_ Tamaki closed the notebook in her hand, with this small action inviting Kagami's attention on her.

The outcome of the match is already clear.

"It's over," said Tamaki softly. "This match…is Touou's victory."

Sure enough, the sound of the buzzer going off to signal the end of the match, before being followed by the shrill sound of the referee's whistle soon echoed around the court. The game count on the electronic scoreboard read 112-55, with it being in Touou's favour.

Seirin had lost.

* * *

_A/N: Right, I hope that this chapter had made you happy. Once again, sorry for the delayed chapter! Anyway, school term had already begun for me, and I'm already in my second year of college, so updates might be a tad bit slow. As for Silent Light, I'm still trying to plot out the next chapter, so unless you can give me some ideas… Anyway, do you guys remember about the possible Kuroko RPG story that I was talking about a few chapters earlier? Someone had asked me to explain the story plot a little bit, so here goes:_

_**Fallen Shards**_

_RPG AU. The different arcane guilds had always been at loggerheads with each other, especially the legendary guild, Teiko, which was led by six of the highest class of warriors that had ever existed, the Kiseki no Sedai. But when the very life of the world, the Mimir Tree was threatened, the guilds must put aside their differences and fight for a common goal. The war has begun. Fem!KurokoXAomine_

_I've seen a few stories done by others that are based off the RPG pictures I saw on Tumblr. The stories reminded me of Sword Art Online, as it is basically the characters actually 'living' in the virtual world of an MMPORG. For my story, it isn't the cast playing a game. It is more like a fantasy reality. I mostly got the idea of it from the Mana series games._

_What do you think of this idea? I won't be starting any new stories until I've finished with at least some of the stories that I'm currently juggling with, so fear not. Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	17. Sick Day

_Aomine and Tamaki:_ Don't worry, you'll see more fluff scenes between the both of them in this chapter, since it's pretty much an original chapter. How does Aomine nursing Tamaki sounds?

_Tamaki's analytical play:_ Actually, Tamaki has a reason why she never uses it anymore after her third year in Teiko. It is already mentioned as much in the previous chapter. I'm seriously considering having Riko or Teppei ask her to be Seirin's manager or something, since her insight, analyzing skills and observation skills far exceeds Riko and Momoi's even.

_Tamaki transferring:_ Yes, I know that Tamaki had a bet with Akashi about this. That if her team ever loses, she will have to transfer. Well, you'll see what will transpire with this bet in this chapter.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Sixteen: Sick Day**

"_When one thing ends, another begins." - Aida Riko_

**XXXXXX**

Seirin had lost.

The sound of the loud cheers surrounding them – both from the spectators and from the winning team itself sounded almost muffled to Tamaki. The Seirin players currently on the court looked defeated, with an almost dull look in their eyes as they proceeded to line up for the after match greeting.

Next to Tamaki, Kagami stiffened, and he gritted his jaw tightly. Tamaki doesn't even have to look at his face to know that the redhead is seething with rage. On Touou's bench, Satsuki looked at Aomine sadly before switching her gaze to Tamaki.

Over in the bleachers where the Shutoku regulars minus Midorima were sitting together, Takao gritted his teeth in frustration, unable to believe his eyes and ears at the outcome of the match. "They doubled their score?" Takao closed his fingers over the safety railings that separated the bleachers from the court. "Touou's crazy! If Seirin lost that badly, we'll lose even harder."

Kimura wasn't happy at Takao's words and smacked him over the head painfully. "What'd you say, idiot?" he grumbled.

Otsubo sighed. Unlike his teammates, the Shutoku captain understood the reality of the situation for what it really is. "He's right. It's not that simple," he said seriously, recalling the outcome of their last match against Seirin, and just _how_ they had lost. "For Midorima, Kagami was nearly the worst opponent he could have faced. And that Kuroko girl is his weakness as well. But if it came down to stopping Aomine…" He trailed off. Seriously, he doubted that even Midorima could stop Aomine should they ever get to face Touou in a match. Though the fact that the Kuroko girl isn't playing in this match this time around had probably factored to Seirin's loss. "The Generation of Miracles' ace is off the charts."

* * *

Akashi sighed as he pulled the hood of his jacket up over his head, moving to leave the gymnasium. _'The psychological damage to Tama must be big,'_ he thought, looking over his shoulder to look at his cousin. Anyone would say that Kuroko Tamaki didn't look any different than usual, but Akashi knew better. She is his cousin after all. _'She can handle loss better than most of us, but this match…'_

Akashi stepped out of the gymnasium. Night had already long fallen, and the redhead teen was surprised to see that it had started raining sometime during the match. "Rain…" he mused, staring up into the rainy skies, unable to see anything at all because of all the clouds covering the skies. _'Come to think of it, it is on a night like this when…'_

Akashi stopped his train of thoughts right there. He never liked to think about _that night._ The night when everything had started spiralling down to Hell for his cousin, and gradually, even without him realising it, had started to change.

The redhead pulled his cellphone out only to see that it is nearly 7PM, with his phone's wallpaper being that of him and his cousin at the Teiko's school entrance ceremony three years ago when they were first years. Akashi himself used to smile more then, but his smiles soon grew lesser after his father had walked out on him and his mother during his second year. His mother and his cousin were everything to him now, even his former teammates. The Generation of Miracles might not act as such, but they are like a close knit family who cared for each other tremendously.

Akashi sighed as he dialled a familiar number and placed his phone to his ear. Three rings later, the call was picked up, and Akashi smiled a small smile. "Mom? I'm coming home tonight," he said. He listened to what his mother had to say on the other end of the line, and the smile on his face fell. "…No. Her team didn't win." Akashi said slowly. To say that Seirin had lost is an understatement. "Let's leave her be for now. I'm coming home now. That's that then. Bye."

The redhead then walked out into the rain, slipping his phone back into his pocket. He had barely done so when there was a message tone from his phone, and the redhead pulled it out once more. The message was from his senior in the Rakuzan basketball team, Hayama Kotaro who kind of reminds him of Kise.

_From: Hayama Kotaro  
__Subject: RE:_

_I've found one._

Akashi stopped dead in his tracks upon reading this message, with the only lights visible in this part of the street that he is walking on being the occasional headlights of a passing vehicle.

It is only one sentence, but to Akashi Seijuro, it had conveyed lots to him. For the first time in about two years, Akashi felt hope blossoming once more.

And for the first time in nearly two years, a warm and sincere smile appeared on Akashi Seijuro's face.

* * *

Midorima eyed the cheering Touou players and the dejected Seirin team before tearing his eyes away from the sight, his gaze resting on Tamaki for a second longer. The green haired teen then turned to move away.

"See you later, Kise." He told his former blonde teammate, not happy at all by the outcome of the match.

"That was quick!" Kise was surprised. "Aren't you shocked at all by these results?" He demanded.

Midorima was silent for a few moments. "You should be worried about Tamaki instead of me," he told the blonde who looked surprised. "Even if she didn't play in the match at all, having to just sit there and watch her team get thrashed by Aomine isn't an easy thing to handle. And her analytical and strategic abilities were completely useless against Aomine and his original style of street basketball. To be blunt, she couldn't do anything to help her team at all. It must have been psychologically damaging." He sighed, concerned about the teal haired girl. "Not only that, but Seirin is still a young team. It won't be easy for them to come back from that overnight. We can only hope that it won't affect their two remaining games, especially with both Tamaki and Kagami unable to play for the rest of the Inter High championship league." He pushed his glasses up his nose. _'And their next two opponents are the remaining two Kings.'_

**XXXXXX**

"Coach?" Imayoshi called out as he approached the Touou coach who is at the smoking area of the gymnasium, whilst the rest of the Touou players were busy cleaning up and packing their stuff back in the locker room. The Touou captain had left Momoi behind to supervise the team.

Touou was all in a good mood, especially after their overwhelming victory over Seirin. But Imayoshi was honest with himself, and he knew that if Aomine hadn't been playing for Touou, they could just as easily have lost against Seirin like Seirin did to them. Especially since Seirin had Kuroko Tamaki on their side.

Aomine didn't appreciate how one of their reserve players had badmouthed Tamaki earlier, insulting her analytical skills and so, and the tanned player had snapped and was close to beating the guy to within an inch of his life if Momoi hadn't stopped him.

Imayoshi isn't blind. He had seen how Aomine had looked at the teal haired girl on Seirin's bench during the occasional breaks and time outs that both teams have called for during their match, and he could tell that Aomine probably liked the teal haired girl in a romantic way. And his feelings are most probably returned for the most part. After all, those two have been teammates and best friends for three years of middle school. It is difficult for something to _not_ develop between the both of them.

But the Touou captain also knew that the two, along with Momoi and the rest of the Generation of Miracles are professionals whilst on the basketball court, and they knew how to keep their basketball and their personal life separate. Even if they are together in a sense, it doesn't mean that they will take it easy on the other if both their schools should ever face each other in a match.

"Oh. Imayoshi." Harasawa Katsunori nodded to the Touou captain, holding his cigarette in between two of his fingers on the right hand. "What was that fuss from just now? And I just saw Aomine storming away from the locker room in a rage."

Imayoshi sighed. He found that he had been doing this a lot lately, especially with Aomine's arrival. He wonder for a moment if the other teams that had a member of the Generation of Miracles had to deal with as much drama within their team.

"Nothing much. Just that Aomine snapped when one of the reserves badmouthed Kuroko Tamaki in front of him." Imayoshi stated.

"Ah." Katsunori understood immediately. "Bad thing to do, especially considering the relationship between the two. I hope that Aomine didn't damage him too badly?"

Imayoshi almost sweatdropped at his coach's words. Damage? His coach made that reserve player sounds like some object that can be damaged and then fixed back! The Touou captain was however slightly surprised that the coach knew, or at least guessed about the relationship between Aomine and that Kuroko girl. And then again, the coach's insight doesn't only work on the court. He had an eye for talent that explains the number of promising players on the Touou team.

Hell, Katsunori went as far to Akita to recruit Sakurai after seeing the boy play during the middle school National tournament. Of course, Sakurai's school was completely thrashed by Teiko at that time, but Katsunori was impressed by Sakurai's talent as a Shooting Guard, and had promptly headed all the way to Akita to recruit Sakurai.

Thankfully for Imayoshi's sanity however, Sakurai is the complete opposite of Aomine in terms of personality. If Sakurai is as arrogant as Aomine, Imayoshi might as well retire early, since he isn't sure he can handle Wakamatsu who will be complaining about their TWO freshmen regulars. Aomine alone is bad enough. Imagine Wakamatsu complaining about Sakurai too.

"No. But he bruised his throat though." Imayoshi sighed. "Kuroko Tamaki, huh?" He mused, recalling the one and only time when he had met the teal haired girl. "I met her only once. And that is when I'd gone with you to Teiko to recruit one of the members of the Generation of Miracles last year."

_If Imayoshi is expecting an arrogant and tall basketball player as the legendary Generation of Miracles' lone female player and vice captain, he is quickly rid of his notions when a petite looking and cute girl dressed in Teiko's uniform turned up in the room that Teiko's basketball coach had directed both him and Katsunori to wait in._

_Imayoshi had never gone to Teiko Middle School before, so he was quite surprised at the sheer size of it. It is easily even larger than Touou, with the numerous sports facilities that Teiko had. Obviously, Teiko had placed much emphasis on their sports. And the number of championship trophies and medals displayed in this room spoke of Teiko's continuous victories at the championships._

_He has no idea why his coach wanted Kuroko Tamaki so badly. He'd only heard rumours of the legendary Mirage player, but she is more of a support player than an offensive one. And if she is a support player, then she can pretty much work well in any team._

_Imayoshi had always prided himself on his ability to read people, but to his surprise and frustration, he can't read Kuroko Tamaki at all, with that emotionless look on her face as she listened politely to what Katsunori had to say. The newly appointed Touou captain glanced momentarily at the brace on her left hand, frowning to himself._

_Teiko's coach seemed rather reluctant to let them meet Tamaki at first when Katsunori had asked for an audience with him. Apparently, Katsunori and Teiko's coach have been teammates and friends during their college years, along with Shutoku's basketball coach, and some guy named Aida Kagetora whom Katsunori seemed reluctant to talk about. _

_And on account of their past relationship, Teiko's coach had finally relented to let them meet Kuroko Tamaki, but he had warned Katsunori to not pressurise Tamaki if she turned down his offer to join Touou. The coach had muttered something about 'Akashi would not let you leave alive otherwise'._

_Kuroko Tamaki nodded slowly as she listened to what Katsunori had to say, her eyes flickering towards Imayoshi who sat beside the coach, studying what might be his newest teammate with interest._

"_I understand your intentions, and I appreciate your offer, but I'm afraid that I must turn down your offer," said Tamaki apologetically. Imayoshi was taken aback at this, but Katsunori doesn't seem surprised, only a little dejected._

"_I see," said Katsunori with a sigh. "May I ask why?"_

"_I already have plans for high school, and I have a school in mind that I've already applied for," said Tamaki. "I'm sorry for turning you down, but I can suggest a teammate of mine that you can ask. As far as I know, he's the only one who hasn't picked a high school yet, since the others have already made their choices. And if he agrees, you'll probably get his childhood friend too who is also our team manager." Imayoshi blinked in confusion. "Besides, Touou's basketball style seems more his thing." She smiled sadly. "He'll probably take to it like a duck to water. Ask for Aomine Daiki." She told Katsunori and Imayoshi who both blinked in confusion. The ace of the Generation of Miracles? "If he ever joins Touou however, please take care of him."_

"When the basketball season started up this year, there were only talks and rumours about the Generation of Miracles who are all in their freshman year of high school this year." Katsunori stated. "And given the fact that they are legends even among the high school basketball circuit, I'm not surprised. Every high school basketball team in Japan is dreading the day when they will get to face one of their members in a match. Thus, the teams that have managed to acquire a member of the Generation of Miracles were at the fore of those rumours. One of the three Kings of Tokyo; King of the East, Shutoku. Kaijo High of Kanagawa. The ultimate defense school, Yosen High of Akita. The Emperor, Rakuzan High of Kyoto. And our Touou Academy." Katsunori ticked off his fingers. "The high school that had managed to acquire the Mirage player of the Generation of Miracles is a mystery though."

Imayoshi nodded his head. "That's why I was so surprised when we watched the match videos of Seirin High, and I then learned that she's a player with them," he admitted. "Why would such a talented player join a school like Seirin though?" He wondered.

Katsunori glanced at his team captain out of the corner of his eyes. "Who knows?" he said mysteriously. "But I do know that something did happen with the Generation of Miracles though, during their third year. An event that forced them to make the final decision to split up the ultimate team in high school."

Imayoshi frowned. "What happened with them?" he wondered.

**XXXXXX**

In Seirin's locker room, the atmosphere is extremely gloomy.

And given the fact that they had just lost this badly against Touou, it is not surprising at all. Even the freshmen trio who were always hanging out with Tamaki and Kagami were pretty subdued, especially after cheering their lungs out during the entire second half. No one can tell what Tamaki is really thinking, since she's facing away from the rest of the team, staring at a spot near her feet.

Not even Riko can do anything to cheer the dejected team up, and the brunette coach didn't have the heart to scold them for being this down in the dumps like how she did just before their match against Seiho a few weeks ago. Tamaki didn't move from her spot even as the Seirin team left the locker room.

'_My strategies can't help anyone.'_ Tamaki thought to herself, fighting back angry tears for being this…_useless_ to her team. _'What am I even thinking, thinking that I can help the team, especially with my current lack of power?'_ She glared at her left hand. And for the first time in her life, Tamaki grew angry at herself, angry at her lack of power, angry at her handicap, despite knowing the fact that it isn't something that she can help.

"Hey." Tamaki was jerked out of her thoughts by Kagami's voice from behind her, with the redhead being the only one apart from the teal haired girl to still remain in the locker room. Kagami sounded dejected as well. "This might be our limit." Tamaki heard Kagami getting up from the bench that he is sitting on, with said bench creaking as it was released from Kagami's weight. "I thought that we could go further. But look at us." Tamaki said nothing. She knew what is coming next; what would come out from Kagami's mouth. And she didn't want to hear it. "In the face of overwhelming power, I don't think we can win just by working together."

Kagami then left the locker room, leaving a cold silence in his wake.

Tamaki bit on her lower lip with frustration, fighting back the angry tears. Is she upset? Or is she angry? She doesn't know any longer. Maybe she is angry. But not at Aomine. Never at him. She could never hate him or even get angry with him for long. Even back at Teiko, she had never stayed angry with Aomine for more than half a day.

Maybe she is angry with herself. For her own lack of power. Tamaki doesn't want to admit it to herself, but she knew that compared to her skills back in freshman year and junior year of middle school, she is now _weak_ compared to back then. Her skills back then was what gained Tamaki her spot among the Generation of Miracles – the team of six players that would later move on to take the middle school basketball circuit by storm.

"_Tamaki, I don't think that you were wrong. But I can't do this any longer. I'll never find what I'm looking for. The only one who can beat me is me alone."_

Tamaki was surprised when she felt droplets of water falling on her hand, and she then realised that she had started crying even without realising it. Never had a loss been this hard on her, and she had suffered her own fair share of losses before. But never in her life had she been forced to sit on the bench for forty minutes and watch her team get thrashed out there and she is unable to help, knowing that she _might_ be able to help make a difference in their game.

And Kagami's words… The look on her seniors' faces when the final buzzer had gone off, signalling the end of the match, and the final score of the match…

Kagami's words… It had sounded too much like what a certain tanned Teiko player had used to say to her in the past… Before he had changed… Before _all of them_ have changed… Will Seirin be the second coming of what Teiko had become? Will Kagami be the second Aomine? Will Seirin's basketball change from one that values teamwork and the enjoyment of just playing basketball to being an individual style, just playing for the sake of winning? Just like Teiko's motto of 'Winning is everything'.

Sure, Tamaki knew that back at Teiko, her teammates and her coach still cared for her, and she loved them like a family. But it is just this one aspect that she didn't like – that to them, winning is everything. And they don't care what they have to do in order to achieve it.

Tamaki recalled Kise's words to her after their practice match against his school.

"_I still don't get it." Kise said at last. "I can say one thing though. If you think so highly of Kagami because of his attitude towards basketball, some day, the two of you will part ways." He warned. "The biggest difference between me and the other four isn't our physical abilities. They all have a special ability that not even I could imitate. Tamacchi, you too. Your style and your ability… It isn't something that I can imitate either. That's why more than anyone else, you should understand. I realised during today's game that he's still learning. And just like the Generation of Miracles, he has a unique ability. For now, he's still an immature challenger. He's enjoying the thrill of recklessly playing strong opponents. However, someday, he will reach the level of the Generation of Miracles and grow apart from his team. When he does, do you really believe that Kagami won't be a different person?"_

Tamaki rubbed at her eyes, trying to stop the onslaught of tears, but they just keep coming. The teal haired girl simply can't remember the last time when she had cried. Probably, it is when she had realised that she can't use her left hand anymore. She hadn't cried since then.

This feeling… One of abandonment… She doesn't want to feel it anymore.

Tamaki knew that her cousin and her former teammates still care for her in their own way, but it is a fact that they did leave her behind at their last National tournament. That's why she had left.

There was a low whine just then, and Tamaki looked down only to see Aoi nudging at her leg with his nose, pawing at her. The teal haired girl was surprised at her dog's appearance. When did he get here?

She picked her puppy up.

"Did you follow me here?" she asked Aoi who whined and licked at her face, trying to cheer his owner up. Tamaki hugged Aoi, feeling tears brimming at her eyes once more, and she hurriedly wiped them away. "Will they be the same too? Will Kagami-kun…be the second Aomine-kun?" She whispered.

…_I'm tired. I'm scared. Don't…_

…_Don't leave me behind._

**XXXXXX**

In the remaining two games in the championship league that Seirin had against Meisei and Senshinkan – the two remaining Kings of Tokyo, Tamaki didn't show up. Riko and Hyuuga didn't say anything about it, since Tamaki had actually gone to their classroom a day before their match against Meisei, telling them that she will be taking some time off due to 'personal reasons'.

And Hyuuga and Riko didn't have the heart to say 'no' to her, especially when they saw the dejected look on her face. And if they could tell that Tamaki is upset, then something is seriously wrong.

And as Kagami's legs were still injured, he wasn't allowed to play for their next two matches. Their loss against Touou still fresh in their minds, Seirin experienced a sudden slump, and the once flawless team play that they've exhibited against all their past opponents was suddenly full of holes.

As a result, Seirin lost against both Meisei and Senshinkan, and thus, Seirin's attempts at the Inter High tournament ended.

**XXXXXX**

When Tamaki woke up on that particular Friday morning, she wondered for a moment why her room is suddenly spinning and even shaking. And as she tried to get out of bed, she almost fell over, and she would have had she not grabbed the edge of her bedside table as she did so.

The teal haired girl almost doubled over herself as she coughed harshly, wincing at the rawness in her throat, and her head almost felt like hammers were pounding at it.

Tamaki almost groaned in realisation as she realised that she is sick.

She had already noticed the first signs of her getting sick just after the Touou versus Seirin match two weeks ago, which must be due to her getting drenched in the rain for almost an hour before she made her way home. And even after that, she didn't take it easy, spending nearly six hours at the street basketball court each day after school, trying to use her left hand once more, but to no avail.

It doesn't matter what she had tried; her left hand just refused to respond to her commands.

Tamaki coughed harshly, covering her mouth with one hand, and Aoi whined at her feet, the dog realising that something is wrong with his master. "School…" Tamaki murmured to herself, feeling rather out of breath all of a sudden. "I have to get ready for school…"

She hasn't taken more than three steps forwards before darkness clouded her mind once more, and she collapsed.

I should really have stayed in bed today, was Tamaki's last thought before she felt herself pass out, barely noticing the light scampering of paws as Aoi leapt out of the slightly opened window that Tamaki always left opened for the canine if he ever wants a walk whilst she's still in school, and she couldn't take him.

* * *

"Sleepy…" Aomine Daiki yawned, tears almost coming out of his eyes because of it, dressed rather untidily in his Touou school uniform, his school bag slung over one shoulder, even as he stepped out of the house. A loud panicked barking caught his attention, and he looked down only to see a familiar black and white husky barking at him, pawing at his pant leg. "Huh? Aoi? What are you doing here?" He bent down, patting the small dog on the head. "Did you get lost?" He could swear that Aoi was almost glaring at him, and the small dog bit on his hand. Hard. "Ow!" Aomine shrieked, blowing on his hand. Thankfully, Aoi is still a very young puppy, and thus, his bites aren't very painful. "What is that for?"

Aoi whined, pawing at his pant leg, tugging at the fabric with his mouth. Aomine could only stare at the puppy in confusion. Aoi's pleading blue eyes were almost telling him 'come with me!'

After their match, Aomine hadn't seen Tamaki. He might be an idiot, but even he had enough sense to know that Seirin's loss must still be hitting Tamaki hard. He knew Tamaki long enough to know that she wouldn't blame him, but he knew that she would blame herself.

"Do you want me to follow you?" Aomine asked in confusion, and Aoi barked and ran down the pathway. Frowning, Aomine followed the small dog, ignoring the fact that he might be late for school if he does so.

To his surprise, Aoi lead Aomine all the way to Tamaki's house where the little husky entered the house through a half opened window that Aomine was sure that Tamaki had left opened on purpose. "Tamaki, are you there?" Aomine called out, knocking on the door. "Tamaki?"

There was a light scratching from the other side of the door just then, followed by Aoi whining. And much to Aomine's confusion, he then heard Aoi barking excitedly, followed by the scampering of paws.

"What in the world is that dog doing?" Aomine wondered.

There was a light clattering over by the window just then, and Aomine turned only to see Aoi leaping out of the window, a bunch of keys held in his mouth. Aomine took the bunch of keys from Aoi (though that is _after_ he had cleaned it of dog spit). _'These are Tamaki's house keys.'_ Aomine realised, recognising the basketball keychain, as it is one that he had won for her at their school festival during their second year of Teiko.

Aomine is starting to panic. If these are Tamaki's house keys, and Aoi is here to drag him to her house, then… Did something happen?

"Tamaki?" Aomine fumbled with the keys, finally finding the correct one and inserting it into the lock. He turned it and pushed the door opened, leaving his shoes on the doorstep, and entering the small but tidy apartment. Aoi followed him in.

The blue haired teen almost suffered from a stroke as he saw Tamaki lying on the floor in a heap, motionless. "Tamaki!" He made it by her side in record time, and almost panicked when he realised how hot her body is. "Tamaki! What's wrong?"

Tamaki coughed harshly to herself, and opened her eyes blearily only to see Aomine staring down at her with a concerned look on his face. "…Daiki…?" she murmured. "…I'm…okay… I just…feel a little sick…" She coughed harshly once more.

"You're okay, my ass!" Aomine exploded. This is so like Tamaki. She would never admit that she's sick or injured, even when she's running a high fever. That had happened one time back in freshman year, and it only took Akashi cornering her before she had agreed to rest in the infirmary for the day until it came time to go home. "You're running a high fever, you idiot!" He then lifted Tamaki up bridal style, placing her back into her bed, covering her with the blankets.

Aomine then went to the small kitchen in Tamaki's apartment, heading to where he knew Tamaki had kept a small stock of medication in case she ever got sick, and was relieved that Tamaki had labelled the pills so that he knew which was which. Aomine took the pills for a fever, even some aspirin pills, along with a glass of water, returning to Tamaki.

Aoi was whining at the side of the bed at his owner, the puppy not liking how his owner is looking so pale and weak looking. Aomine sat by the edge of Tamaki's bed, helping her to sit up, one arm wound around her shoulders to support her. "Here. Drink." He ordered, giving her the pills.

The teal haired girl obediently swallowed the pills, drinking it down with the glass of water, and she coughed harshly, staring up at Aomine with fever glazed eyes. "Shouldn't you go to school?" she asked before she coughed harshly once more. "I'll be fine on my own." She added breathlessly.

Aomine shook his head. "Satsuki will take notes for me," he said, conveniently forgetting to mention the fact that even if he did go to class, he'll probably sleep the entire day away anyway. He often did that back at Teiko that if it hasn't been for Tamaki or Momoi, he would have probably flunked every single test and exam that he had ever taken. "Try to get some rest."

Aomine then headed to the kitchen once more, filling a basin with water, and took a few wash towels that are hanging over the edge of a basket. Aomine also took a thermometer with him from the first aid box and headed back to Tamaki's side. The teal haired girl was coughing harshly every few minutes, and the fever had caused a light flush to appear on her pale cheeks.

Aomine soaked one of the towels in the basin, wringing it out and placing it over Tamaki's forehead. "Cold." Tamaki whispered, and Aomine smiled at this. It seems like Tamaki will only say what she really feels when she's feeling sick.

"We have to bring your temperature down." Aomine told her, placing the thermometer into her mouth. He waited a few moments before a light beep could be heard, and Aomine then took the thermometer out once more. "39 degrees." Aomine muttered to himself, seriously considering calling a doctor.

He stared at Tamaki's face closely, with the girl having closed her eyes in order to get some rest. Tamaki had always been pale, but now coupled with her fever, she seems almost deadly pale, with just a hint of a flush because of her fever. He always knew that Tamaki is pretty, with features and assets that any girl would kill for, especially with her long eyelashes.

Aomine was jerked out of his thoughts when Tamaki coughed harshly once more, with the cough seeming to hurt her throat. The tanned teen then did what his mother had always done for him when he was little and had a really bad cough. He reached over and started massaging Tamaki's throat gently, blushing slightly when his hand brushes against her collarbone lightly.

Tamaki opened her eyes blearily. "Thank you," she whispered, and Aomine smiled. Even when she's sick, she's still polite.

"It's no problem," he said, removing the cloth from her forehead, and replacing it with another one. "Is there anything that I can do for you?" He hated seeing Tamaki this weak and sick with fever, and knowing that he can't do anything to help ease her pain.

Tamaki tugged at Aomine's hand. "Sleep with me," she whispered.

Aomine blushed. "W-What?"

Is the fever getting to her brain or something? Satsuki, Akashi, and even the rest of the Generation of Miracles _will_ kill him if he touches her _like that!_

Tamaki coughed again, wincing at the pain in her throat. "I meant just lie down next to me," she whispered, and Aomine blinked.

"Oh." He muttered, suddenly feeling very foolish. "Okay." Tamaki shifted slightly to give Aomine more room, and he then got into the bed next to her, not caring that he's crumpling his uniform. The tanned teen then wrapped his arms protectively around Tamaki who sighed.

"You're nice and cool," she whispered, closing her eyes as she leaned her head against Aomine's shoulder.

"That's because you have a fever." Aomine responded.

There was silence between the two for several moments. Aomine wondered for a moment if this is how Tamaki had always gotten through any bouts of illnesses that she had. Does she always suffer through it by herself? He knew Tamaki long enough and well enough by now to know that she never liked to ask people for help. She had a strong sense of pride in her.

Freshman year was proof enough when she got picked on a lot by some of the other first string players because she's a regular, and the only girl furthermore. That stopped when Akashi and the rest of the team caught wind of it. Aomine had wondered at that time that if Satsuki hadn't brought it to his attention, would Tamaki have continued enduring this torment in silence?

The tanned player watched Tamaki carefully as she breathed, having fallen asleep, worn out by her illness. Aomine placed his hand against the side of her neck, and breathed a sigh of relief when he realised that her temperature seemed to have gone down slightly. If Tamaki just take it easy for the rest of the day, she should be fine by the next day.

Aomine stared at Tamaki's slumbering face for several moments before reaching over and hovering above her, supporting his weight by balancing himself on his elbows. He caressed her cheek gently and pressed his lips against hers.

"I love you," he whispered, knowing that she can't hear it. He then laid himself back down beside Tamaki, deciding to catch some shut eye as well.

In her sleep, Tamaki smiled.

**XXXXXX**

In the Aida residence, Riko's phone blared out with her message tone.

The brunette, who was currently sitting at her desk, working on the basketball team's next training regime, was taken aback by the sudden message tone. She immediately picked it up only to realise that it's a message from their currently absent Number 7 player.

Riko smiled to herself as she read the message. _'That's right. Nothing is decided yet. When one thing ends, another begins. We have another challenge ahead of us after all.' _The brunette girl then headed towards her bathroom to take her bath, deciding to call it a day. _'I hope that Tamaki-chan is okay. No one has seen her for nearly two weeks. Though with a basketball freak such as herself, I'm sure that she's still training in her own way elsewhere.'_

On Riko's desk, her cellphone is still opened to the message that she'd just received.

_From: Kiyoshi Teppei  
__Subject: But_

_It's not over yet._

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki woke up the next day, feeling a lot better than she did the day before. The teal haired girl stretched, feeling a sense of satisfaction when she heard her bones pop. She then went about her usual morning routine, patting her puppy on the head as she laid down Aoi's food for him in his bowl.

The little dog had stayed by her side the entire day when she had fallen sick, and she knew that the only reason that Aomine had taken care of her is because Aoi had taken him here. Aomine's house, her house and Seirin High are the only places that Aoi are familiar with, though the curious little husky had a tendency to go exploring all over the place when he is on one of his 'walks'. But Aoi always makes it back home without fail.

Tamaki smiled at Aoi and took careful steps towards her window, opening it up all the way to breathe in the fresh air. She had just recovered from a high fever after all. Something on the table caught her eye just then, and Tamaki turned only to see a bowl covered with a lid, with a note next to it.

Raising a curious eyebrow, Tamaki picked up the note only to see that it's scrawled in Aomine's untidy handwriting:

_I've prepared some porridge. Heat it up if it gets cold. I have to leave this morning, as Satsuki had blackmailed me into shopping with her in exchange for getting her notes for yesterday. I didn't want to wake you, thus, I left without letting you know. _

_Take it easy today._

_-Daiki_

Tamaki smiled softly to herself. Porridge is about the only thing that Aomine could prepare and cook without burning it, or turning it into some nuclear weapon. Back in Teiko, whenever the first string regulars have training camps, it is usually Satsuki who made them their meals, though she isn't that great with cooking herself.

Amongst the entire team, it is only Tamaki, Akashi and Murasakibara who could cook, and that is only because Akashi's mother owned a restaurant, thus, he has to learn how to cook from a young age. Tamaki because Akashi's mother had often taught her how to cook along with her son. Murasakibara, who knows, but given his liking of anything sweet, he probably taught himself how to cook just for the sake of it.

It had been Tamaki who had taught Aomine how to cook porridge once back during middle school when Akashi had caught a severe cold, and was forced to remain in bed. Tamaki and Aomine were relegated to looking after him, much to the redhead's displeasure. It was probably from back then when Aomine had actually learned how to nurse a sick person back to health.

Tamaki's cellphone blared with her message tone just then, and the teal haired girl looked in several different directions at once, looking for her phone, before she noticed it lying on her bedside table, sitting beside a half full glass of water.

Frowning slightly, Tamaki picked her red cellphone up, a cellphone strap of a basketball hanging from it, flipping her cell opened only to see that it's a message from her cousin. _'Ah. It's Saturday today.'_ Tamaki realised, remembering that her cousin always returns to Tokyo on Friday nights, and will leave for Kyoto again on Sunday nights.

The message is short and curt, as is normal when coming from Akashi.

_From: Akashi Seijuro  
__Subject: Rising Sun_

_I've returned to Tokyo last night. Are you feeling better now? If you're feeling up to it, come to Rising Sun now. I want to speak to you._

Tamaki didn't feel too surprised that her cousin knew that she's sick. Even without Aomine telling him, Akashi somehow always knew things like that. She had long given up on trying to figure out the how and why behind Akashi always knowing things before it had even happened. If Akashi hadn't been her cousin, and she knew that he loved her like a sister, even caring for her as one, Tamaki would have found it creepy.

She chalked Akashi's all-knowing side to the fact that he had been playing shogi ever since he was a little boy. And in all the shogi matches and tournaments that he had been participating in ever since kindergarten, Tamaki had never seen Akashi lose even once. It is mainly from him that she learned her strategic skills, though Akashi only taught her the basics of it. Like her basketball, she took that skill further herself.

Sighing, Tamaki took a quick shower before getting dressed, wrapping a white scarf around her neck to keep herself warm. She'd just recovered from a high fever and a severe cold after all. Akashi would freak out on her if she gets herself sick again.

Aoi barked at her as Tamaki got ready to leave the house, making sure that she had her wallet, cellphone and house keys with her. Blinking, the teal haired girl looked down at her feet only to see that Aoi was wagging his tail happily, barking at her, his leash placed at her feet.

Tamaki smiled, bending down to Aoi's eye level. "Do you want to come with me?" Aoi barked at her happily. "Then let's go then."

* * *

Saturday mornings are always slow for business for Rising Sun, thus, Tamaki wasn't surprised when she entered the restaurant only to see that there weren't any customers around. Yuki was sitting behind the counter, looking through the account books whilst the two waiters and waitresses that she had were both cleaning the entire restaurant.

Yuki smiled at Tamaki as she entered. "Sei-chan is back in the kitchen," she told her niece, jerking one thumb behind her at the entrance of the kitchen where there is a red curtain covering it.

Tamaki nodded her thanks to her aunt as she entered the kitchen, but not before leaving Aoi with Yuki. Yuki knew the drill between her son and niece, since it had happened so many times before. And by now, all the employees of Rising Sun knew that if Akashi and Tamaki are both in the kitchen, you _do not_ walk in unless you want a scissors aimed at your head.

Akashi was standing at the sink, drying a pile of plates with a dry cloth, placing the dried plates in a stack neatly. He is currently dressed in a simple white polo tee with black shorts and basketball shoes. The redhead looked up as Tamaki entered, and he nodded to her.

"It's a pity about the match." Akashi stated. "And I thought that Seirin did well enough against Shintaro's school too."

Tamaki let out a huff. "Just go straight to the point," she said irritably.

The loss against Touou is still haunting her, like the rest of her teammates, and she hasn't spoken to Kagami ever since. It's more like there is nothing to say. What can she say anyway? She is the one who had said that basketball is a team sport, and yet, despite all that talk about teamwork, Seirin still lost. And this badly too.

Akashi 'hmmed' and turned around to face his cousin. "Do you remember what I've told you before?" he questioned. "I said that if Seirin ever loses before the Nationals, I want you to transfer schools."

Tamaki glared at her cousin. She knew that it's about this! Surely her cousin wouldn't want her to switch schools now, would he? Oh, who is she kidding? Of _course_ he will! Sei never says things that he never meant! That had been the case since early childhood!

Like that time in freshman year when he swore that he will make a new basketball varsity team. Within a month, he achieved his goal. And then again when he threatened to kick the seniors off of the team should they keep bothering her. And when they didn't take Akashi's threat seriously and threatened her again, Akashi did kick them out. Though he included his scissors in that threatening part…

"I'm not switching schools." Tamaki stated curtly. Akashi merely stared back at her. "And you can't make me. I've listened to you up until now, Sei. Just this once, let me make my own decision! I'm not a kid! I can look after myself. If that's what you called me here for, then I'm leaving."

Tamaki then turned to leave. But before she could even take a step out of the kitchen, Akashi called to her. "I found a doctor!"

Tamaki turned slowly to face her cousin, surprised. "What?"

"I found one!" Akashi repeated his words, meeting his cousin's shocked eyes with his own mismatched ones. A look of hope and excitement was present in Akashi's eyes, a look that doesn't often appear in the redhead's eyes. The last time that he had that look present was during their freshman year when they were competing in the National tournament final league. "I found a doctor! One that can treat your hand!"

Tamaki clutched at her left wrist with her right hand out of instinct, staring at Akashi with shock for several moments without saying anything. For the first time in two years, she felt hope once more. Hope that she can play basketball properly again. That she can once again use her left hand.

Tamaki knew that the only reason why Akashi had left Tokyo and his mother behind to attend Rakuzan High in Kyoto despite the fact that he had won a scholarship to attend the prestigious school is also because of the fact that Akashi wanted to find a doctor that can treat her hand. Rakuzan is a known school for turning out prodigies and top students that went on to become some of the top professionals of their field, doctors and lawyers included.

"A senior in my basketball team, Hayama Kotaro came from a family of doctors." Akashi explained. That annoying second year had latched himself onto Akashi on the first day when he was first introduced to the basketball team, even giving him a nickname like 'Sei-chan' which only his mother uses. Tamaki used to call him that too, but she soon started calling him 'Sei' the moment that they were in their final year of elementary school. "I asked him about athlete injuries about a month into the school year. He knew about your injury – the Crownless Generals were all in their final year of middle school when that incident happened with Hanamiya during the Winter Cup finals."

"Because Hanamiya was one of them, they came to watch that match, didn't they?" Tamaki asked, piecing together the rest of the pieces herself. "The Generation of Miracles is a legendary team. And Teiko is a famous school. Any match that we played in – even if it's the Inter High preliminaries, is bound to draw crowds, even attracting well-known basketball players from all over."

Akashi nodded. Like him, Tamaki's insight isn't only used on the court. Her observation ability can be pretty scary at times, as it is almost like she can see right through a person just by looking at them.

"Majority of the basketball circuit at that time assumed that your injury at that time had already healed by the time we were in our third year. The remaining members of the Crownless Generals included. But Kotaro knew better." Akashi said, his face darkening as he recalled the conversation that he had with his self-proclaimed 'best friend'.

"_Hana-chan mangled her wrist." Hayama said cheerfully, ignoring the dark glare on his person from Akashi Seijuro. Any sane person would be sent running off in the opposite direction as fast as they could when they saw the look that Akashi had given them. But no one had ever said that Hayama Kotaro is sane in the first place. "The Mirage player disappeared from the basketball circuit after that. There were rumours flying all over the place that she had quit basketball, or even that she's too injured to play. That, and the fact that Teiko completely destroyed Hana-chan's team in that match. And then…" _

_Hayama grinned at Akashi. "Four months later, the Mirage player appeared again. I was already in high school by then, but I dropped by to watch your first match of the season. I've played against you guys before after all. I know your patterns and Teiko's style. Thus, imagine my surprise when I noticed that Teiko had completely changed their style. Instead of a pure offensive style as is Teiko's play during your first two years, it became an offense and defense style, mainly circulating around those magic passes of the sixth player."_

_Akashi twitched, but said nothing._

"_The way that she played had changed completely as well." Hayama continued, ignoring Akashi's death glare on his person. "There were rumours after that. Some said that Kuroko Tamaki changed her style along with Teiko's because too many of their opponents knew their offense pattern, and that new style was created to throw their opponents off. But I know the truth. Your old team changed their pattern and style because you were forced to. Her injury…" Hayama grinned darkly at Akashi. "…isn't a mere break, is it? Hana-chan crippled her hand, didn't he?"_

Akashi let out a huff at that.

He had threatened Hayama Kotaro at scissors point after that, threatening him that if he so much as spill a single word of Tamaki's injury, he will slice him up like swish kebab. To Hayama's credit however, despite his playful personality that is so much like Kise's, Hayama Kotaro isn't a bad person. As he came from a family of doctors, Hayama had started looking into doctors who could heal an injury like Tamaki's.

It had taken him a few months, but Hayama had finally found a specialist that could do that. The doctor had been an old family friend of his, and had been classmates with his father during their college years. The only problem is that it requires long term rehabilitation and treatment, the shortest recovery time being four months at least. And the specialist is currently based in Kyoto where he's working at a therapy centre for injured athletes. As it had Hayama's vouching and recommendation, the specialist had agreed to waive the treatment fees that could easily cost a bomb. Now the only thing that waits is Tamaki's arrival.

"I finally found one, Tama. Go for the treatment." Akashi almost pleaded. "It's what you've wanted for so long – to treat your hand and to be able to play basketball like you used to. Your current style is effective enough. But that is only if you have four other players on the court that knew your attack and offense pattern well enough to cover the pathways. You're playing at less than half of your original skill level right now, and you know it."

Tamaki closed her eyes briefly. True, it is what she'd wanted for so long. She had dreamed and hoped for the day when she could play basketball properly again. But with each disappointment, that hope gradually grew dimmer until she finally gave up on that dream of being able to play like how she was able to once more.

But this time…

"It's still the middle of the basketball season." Tamaki said at last. "I will go for the treatment. But only after it."

"Is Seirin really that important to you?" Akashi asked, confused. What would make his cousin give up on her dream to be able to use her left hand properly again, even if it's only temporarily? "Why would you do this for them? Why go this far, Tama?"

"They remind me of us during our first year," said Tamaki softly, and Akashi blinked before his eyes softened. "During the year when we truly loved basketball, and we played it because we love it. A game that is played among friends. Especially during the month when we played solely street ball in an attempt to create our own unique style. Seirin is a young team, that's true. But they have potential. And I want to see just how far they could go. I also made a promise to make them the Number One in Japan."

Akashi was silent for several moments before he sighed. "To start with, basketball is a rough sport," he said at last. "You know this better than anyone else." Tamaki nodded. Out of everyone in the Generation of Miracles, she is the one that is more susceptible to on court injures than any other, considering her small size, and also her lack of presence on the court. "If you injure that hand of yours any further…" He trailed off slowly. "Not even a specialist can treat it then. I don't want to see that look on your face again, Tama." He smiled sadly, recalling their second year when Tamaki realised that she can never play basketball with her left hand again.

Tamaki was silent for a long time. She knew that her cousin had her best interests at heart, and she is moved that he would do this much for her, even going as far as to attend school in a different district just so he could find a doctor that can treat her hand. But…

"At the very least, Sei, let me help Seirin make their dream a reality." Tamaki said at last. "I want to see Seirin clinch the top spot in the basketball circuit as well. We might have lost in the Inter High, but it's not over yet. I promise you that I will be careful. No one else knows about my injury anyway. After the basketball season is over, I'll go for the treatment."

Akashi studied his cousin. He knew that once Tamaki had that look on her face, nothing on earth could make her change her mind. She had that stubborn streak in her that is so similar to Akashi's own, and even Aomine.

"Very well." Akashi sighed. "But if any of your teammates so much as hurts one hair on your head, I'll take you away from Seirin immediately, with or without permission." He warned, his eyes darkening as he remembered how that redhead on the Seirin team had almost flown at Tamaki during the Seirin versus Shutoku match. "And even if you're my cousin, I wouldn't go easy on you should we ever face each other in a match."

"I don't intend to either," said Tamaki with a small smile. "Just like our last match against Touou, I don't intend to go easy on you should we ever end up facing each other as opponents. Off court, we're cousins. But on the court, you're just another opponent that we have to beat. Just like Daiki, Midorima-kun, Kise-kun, and even Atsushi-kun."

Akashi smiled. "You got that right," he said.

Their coach at Teiko, Coach Kashitori, had been a Nationally renowned basketball coach who had trained several teams that had gone to world championships. He is a professional coach. And when he had come to Teiko, the first thing that Kashitori had taught them is to always maintain a professional mindset. Just because they're rivals and enemies on the court doesn't mean that they still have to be it off court. They can be friends with their opponents off court when there isn't a match going on, but when there is a match, they will do everything in their power to win.

It had been something that is solely ingrained in the minds of every single member of the Generation of Miracles. Even Satsuki had been trained by the coach to be a professional manager, though his training isn't exactly a walk in the park. Satsuki is the only manager that had managed to last until the end of his training. Hence why she is as skilled as she is at data collecting and analyzing.

"And like you said, just because Seirin had lost at the Inter High doesn't mean that it's over yet. There is still a new challenge waiting for you." Akashi smirked.

Tamaki smiled back; she knew what her cousin is talking about. "The ultimate tournament to determine the strongest basketball team of the year," she stated. "The top high school is determined at the summer Inter High."

"The winter championship is just ahead." Akashi smirked. "The year's biggest and last title to determine the year's strongest team. The National High School Basketball Championship Tournament." His eyes glinted. "Also known as the Winter Cup." He grinned at Tamaki. "All the top high schools of the country will be gathered there at one tournament. It'll be your last chance of the year." He told Tamaki. "If Seirin wants their revenge on Touou, take it at the Winter Cup. It's not over yet. I will not have your team losing again until they face Rakuzan at the finals. There, we'll show you what it means to truly taste defeat. For the better or for the worse, everything will be decided at the Winter Cup."

Tamaki smiled at her cousin who grinned back at her. "Is that a challenge?" she asked. "If so, I'll take you up on it. But the victor will be us!"

Akashi smirked. "You're on."

* * *

_A/N: Right, so it's pretty much an emotional chapter for this one. I almost cried myself when I was writing the locker room scene. For those that have been asking for some Tamaki and Aomine fluff, I hope that you like the sick scene. Anyway, I have been in contact with Forlorn Story Teller who is the writer of Ecllpse of Kuroko Tetsuya. Apparently, it is either he/she has been channelling me or it's the other way around, since there are some parts in both our stories that are pretty similar with each other. I'm just stating here that if there are some ideas or story plots between both our stories that are similar, it is just sheer coincidence, and it is most definitely NOT plagiarism!_

_On a side note, does anyone know or have the background music that is playing in episode 19 when Seirin loses against Touou? I kind of like the music. Also, I'm seriously considering coming out with either the bunch of one shots that I was talking about earlier, or the RPG story that I've mentioned before. Whole lot of ideas taking plot in my head, and I'm just itching to write it all down!_

_Also, just a heads up here, guys. You won't like Kagami that much for the next chapter, and Izuki will also be taking a much bigger role, since the Seirin members haven't been getting much screen time. Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


	18. Midnight Party

_Kiyoshi: _Yes, he'll be appearing in this chapter. And well, his encounter with Tamaki will be a little different, as compared to canon. In the anime and manga, they stated that Shoei (Kiyoshi's middle school) faced off against Teiko once before Kuroko became a regular. But have you seen the comic strips of Kiyoshi in middle school? He has _different numbered jerseys._ And I'm going to assume that Kuroko had already met him then. Whatever it is, the middle school past will be different in this story. A _lot_ different.

_Seirin's loss:_ When one loses, they grow stronger. I'm applying this to Seirin here. Originally, I didn't want them to lose to Touou, but then I decided that they needed it in order to grow stronger.

_Tamaki:_ Well, you'll have to see what I have planned for her. Yes, there is no way that she can use her old style with her left hand yet, or even utilise it fully with her right hand. But I'm not fully applying canon Kuroko's style to Tamaki in this story. I mean, I like it as every one of you does, but following too closely to canon is _boring!_

_Kagami:_ You'll have to see what I have planned for him in this chapter. I can only say that you won't really like him much here. No, I'm not going to bash him, or at least, I'm _trying_ not to, but the temptation is really too difficult to ignore.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Seventeen: Midnight Party**

"_But aren't you the one assuming that's your limit?" - Kiyoshi Teppei_

**XXXXXX**

Their goal for the next basketball tournament clear in their minds, the Seirin basketball team's spirits were raised, and all of them had their hearts set on winning the Winter Cup championship. However, the absences of two of their freshmen starters nagged at the back of the minds of the second years.

Kagami, the second years could understand, since his legs are still injured. Tamaki, they could understand too, since her right wrist is still recovering from the injury that she had received during the Shutoku match. Though in her case, her absence is probably due to more of a psychological damage from the Touou match.

Hence, morale for the Seirin basketball team was simply terrible that week, and the appearance of a certain blonde at their gym didn't make things any easier on the team.

"So…" A tick almost appeared on Hyuuga's head. The bipolar Seirin captain had been on 'clutch mode' for the entirety of that week, even during school time, that all his classmates and even the freshmen were wary of crossing paths with the short tempered Seirin basketball captain. "What are _you_ doing here, Kise Ryota?"

The blonde was currently dressed in his Kaijo High summer uniform, and he still looks as good as when Seirin had first met him all those months ago in this very same gym. Hyuuga is sure that even if Kise dressed himself in a garbage bag, he'll still look like some kind of model.

The blonde didn't have that trademark goofy grin on his face that makes him look like a child. Suffice to say, that look only appears on his face when he's around his former teammates or Kaijo even. A rather serious look is now present on Kise's face – a look that no one on Seirin had ever seen before, unless one counts the practice match that they had with Kaijo, and how Kise was driven to near desperation by Kagami and Tamaki's combination play then.

"Tamacchi isn't here?" Kise asked seriously, looking around the gym for any trace of the teal haired girl.

"No. She hasn't been to practice for a week." Izuki told Kise.

"Did something happen?" Kise asked bluntly, and Seirin blinked, confused. "I met her the other day when she went to the hospital for a quick check up."

Kise neglected to mention the fact that the 'check up' is actually for her left hand. Aomine couldn't get away for some reason, and thus, 'against his will', he was forced to ask Kise to stand in for him, much to the blonde's delight. Any moment spent with the teal haired girl is like Paradise to the blonde.

"She didn't seem happy." Kise told Seirin. "She almost seems unenergetic. What happened?"

The Seirin team exchanged looks. They hadn't seen their two freshmen starters for some time now ever since the Touou match. But there had been _one_ practice when both of them were present, and the atmosphere then was stifling at best, though it mostly came from Kagami, and not Tamaki. The teal haired girl was mostly on the bench, since Riko refused to allow her to so much as touch a ball. But majority of the time when the rest of the team were taking a break, Tamaki mostly hid behind either Izuki, Hyuuga or Riko, depending on who was nearer.

Kise huffed. "I won't ask what had happened, since if it is anything serious, Tamacchi will tell me on her own time if she wants to," he said. "But I don't think that I have to say this, since from what I saw, you Seirin seems pretty protective over Tamacchi already."

As Tamaki is the only girl on the team, as a whole, Seirin is pretty over protective over her. One of them will always walk Tamaki home after training if it lasts well into the night, the same thing that they did for Riko. It is usually either Kagami or Izuki who walks Tamaki back.

"But…" Kise's eyes softened, and he contemplated about something. "Please take care of Tamacchi."

Seirin exchanged confused looks. Take care of her?

"She might seem strong to you, but she's more fragile than she seems." Kise looked worried. "Especially right now."

* * *

"What is with the Generation of Miracles anyway?" Hyuuga complained after practice that day as the second years, along with the freshmen trio, made their way back towards their homes. "It's not just Kise. Midorima too. And maybe even that Aomine. Why are all of them so…concerned about Tamaki?"

"And I kinda get the feeling that something's wrong with Tamaki." Izuki put in. He's kind of Tamaki's 'eye' on the court after all. Apart from Kagami, he is the one who had trained the most with Tamaki. "It's like…she ran into a wall or something." He said slowly, not really knowing how to describe it.

Hyuuga was silent for several moments before he sighed. "Well, it's to be expected really," he said. "During the Touou match, Tamaki didn't play. But she watched the entire match from start to end on the bench. And despite how much she had tried – maybe even tried harder than any of us, we still lost. And she saw all that happened. And I know what she's thinking too." Hyuuga grumbled something beneath his breath. "Man, the freshmen these days! There's always more to worry about!"

"Kagami aside, I'm more worried about Tamaki." Izuki interrupted, the Point Guard having a concerned look on his face. "From the first time when she had joined us, I had a feeling that she's kind of hiding something. Like she's…afraid of something. And during that one practice when both Kagami and Tamaki are present, don't you remember how she had acted?"

Of course all of them remembered.

After all, it had been their first time seeing their team's shadow acting the way she is. And despite how expressionless that Tamaki usually is, Seirin would usually see a smile or two coming from her during training and even during matches. But after the Touou match, no one had seen so much as a smile from her.

"What is up with Tamaki?" Hyuuga wondered.

**XXXXXX**

"_In the face of overwhelming power, I don't think we can win just by working together."_

In the basketball gym, like how she had been doing every night for a week after the basketball team had gone home after training, Tamaki stood in front of the hoop with a basketball in her hand. Aoi sat in a corner next to her bag, tongue hanging out.

"'I don't need you to pass to me any longer', huh?" Tamaki murmured to herself, staring at the orange ball in her hands. _'Where have I heard those words before?'_ She thought sadly. The teal haired girl looked up at the hoop above her head. _'I can't do anything when Teiko fell apart, and the team started drifting away from each other. But this time… I won't let Seirin become like what we once are.'_

Tamaki unwrapped the bandages around her right wrist, letting it fall to the ground beside her foot. She then took a shot with her right hand. Like what she'd expected, the ball bounced against the rim, and fell to the floor of the gym, rolling away to a corner.

Excited barking from Aoi caught Tamaki's attention just then, along with the low unfamiliar chuckle of a male. Tamaki then turned only to see a tall smiling brunette fussing over her dog who is begging to have his tummy rubbed.

"Good boy. Good boy." Kiyoshi Teppei laughed as Aoi lay back on his back, tongue hanging out.

Tamaki frowned as she recognised the brunette immediately. After all, they've faced each other in a match back in middle school multiple times, and this is the one guy that she remembered getting under Murasakibara's skin like he did.

Kiyoshi smiled at Tamaki. Obviously, he recognised her as well. The teams who usually end up facing Teiko generally tend to remember her, as she is the only girl on the team after all. But for some reason, they never talked about her to others. Tamaki had a feeling that her cousin has something to do with it.

"Like what I've heard, this one really looks like you." Kiyoshi smiled, rubbing Aoi's head in between his ears – a spot that the puppy always likes to be rubbed. He tossed the basketball across the court towards Tamaki who caught it easily. "And like what I've heard from Riko, you really changed your play style." He got to his feet slowly, and a packet of brown sugar candies appeared from out of nowhere in his hand. "It's been a while, Kuroko Tamaki." He smiled.

Tamaki let out a light sigh. "Iron Heart, Kiyoshi Teppei," she stated. Teiko had faced this guy and his team during the Inter High tournament as well as the Nationals during her first two years in middle school after all. Like with every team that had a member of the Crownless Generals, Shoei Middle School created quite an impression on them. "One of the Crownless Generals. I didn't think that you'll be in Seirin, especially for a player of your calibre."

"I could say the same for you, Kuroko Tamaki." Kiyoshi smiled at Tamaki, popping a candy into his mouth. "The phantom player, also known as the Mirage player of the Generation of Miracles. The Number 2 player of the middle school basketball circuit, and the vice captain of the legendary basketball team that had moved on to take the middle school basketball circuit by storm for three years running." He smiled at Tamaki. "I'd never imagined that a player of your calibre, especially a member of the Generation of Miracles would join a new team like Seirin."

"People always did say that I'm different from my teammates, especially during third year." Tamaki sighed. That had been the year when her team had started changing, and she could do nothing to stop it.

"I've heard what had happened from Riko." Kiyoshi told Tamaki. "That's why I came back. You're not wrong. Your basketball, that is. You're just inexperienced. I watched your first match during your third year at Teiko. Everyone was surprised that Teiko changed their play pattern. You've always been a support type, haven't you?" Kiyoshi grinned at Tamaki, remembering his brief encounters with her during his matches against Teiko back at middle school. "I like it. Your basketball." He picked up a ball by his feet and started to dribble it. "During middle school, you're still a support type, but at the same time, you have offensive skills too, and is a tactical type of player. Your team's play and your play changes with the opponents that you face. Isn't that your basketball? But during your third year, I don't see that anymore."

"They…don't need it anymore." Tamaki said softly.

"I see," said Kiyoshi. "But isn't that _your_ basketball? You're more of the brains on the court than the brawn. That is your basketball, isn't it? During your third year, you become a full support player, relying more on the team, and specialising in passes. But aren't you the one assuming that that's your limit?" He stopped his dribbling. "I like your basketball. And I think it's impressive that you can view yourself so objectively and play in that way. But aren't you taking it a little too far?"

"For now… That is my limit." Tamaki said slowly, picking up the ball as it came to a stop at her feet. "You who had faced us during our first two years when the Generation of Miracles were at their peak of their play should understand too. There are limits to what I can do. But it is also true that the one deciding my own limits is myself. But…"

"Aren't you the brains behind Teiko's hundred victories?" Kiyoshi asked. "You did some impressive work during the Touou match as well. I heard from Riko that you turned down her request to be the team's manager. I had first taste of what it's like to be on the receiving end of your strategies. You're a tactical type of player through and through. Even changing your style can't change that fact. So why?"

"The Touou match should be proof enough." Tamaki stated. "My strategies…can't help anyone."

Kiyoshi was silent for several moments. "…I was there at that match during the Winter Cup of your second year," he said at last, and Tamaki's eyes widened a slight fraction. "Along with the other three. We saw what happened. And it is only now when I realised that sports injuries are never as it seems. The reason why you changed your style in third year… Is it because your left hand isn't healed?" Kiyoshi probed. "Is it because…you _can't_ use it?"

Tamaki was silent for several moments. If truth be told, she really should have expected this someday. Seirin isn't stupid, and she is surprised that they hadn't figured it out by themselves yet, with just how long that she had been in the team.

"…Yeah."

"Hyuuga and Izuki didn't know, as both of them have stopped playing basketball during their third year of middle school." Kiyoshi said. "But it was the big news during our third year – Teiko's match with Hanamiya's school, that is. If you do not want to let the team know about it, I won't say anything. But if I can say one thing, it is that they won't change how they will treat you." Kiyoshi smiled fondly. "Seirin emphasises on _team play._ We protect our own." The brunette recalled how furious and upset that Hyuuga and the others have been when Hanamiya had shattered his knee. He thought for a moment that Hyuuga would start throttling Hanamiya right there in the middle of the court.

Tamaki was silent for a long time. "Kiyoshi-sempai, have you ever hated basketball?" she asked at last, much to Kiyoshi's confusion.

"Hmm? Can't say that I have," said Kiyoshi.

"I have." Tamaki admitted softly. "For a time, I hated basketball. And hating something that you loved…is a painful feeling. And maybe… Just maybe… There is a part of me that actually blames basketball for my hand." Tamaki stared at her left hand. "I've never blamed Aomine-kun for the incident back then, even though the rest of the team blames him for it. Even Kise-kun who idolises him was angry with him. Maybe they didn't really blame him at all. Maybe… They just wanted to blame someone or something. They just wanted an outlet for that anger. But I've never blamed him. Not once." She smiled sadly. "Is it worth it though?"

It was that incident that had pushed the Generation of Miracles to become the best, _the best_ at what they are. Tamaki had seen the change in her team, in her friends, during third year, and she can't say anything, and neither can she do anything. Because in a way, it is her fault that they have turned out the way that they are.

Kiyoshi laughed. "You're really a basketball idiot too, aren't you?" he joked. "But I'm not really one to speak either." He sighed. "Sacrificing oneself for the team, huh?" He mused. "You're really a team player through and through. Though whether it is worth it in the end… I'm sure that you already knew the answer to it. We're both in the same boat after all." He smiled. "But just a sempai's word of advice: take care of yourself. Your hand can still be treated. It's not too late yet. And unlike me, you don't have to rely solely on your left hand to play. But an injury, no matter how small, can be fatal if left untreated."

"I know." Tamaki said quietly. "I only have this one year to help fulfil Seirin's dream of making it to the top. I won't let it go to waste. But I'm glad that I can play with you again, only in the same team this time." She smiled a small smile at Kiyoshi as she walked past him, picking up her bag. "Kiyoshi-sempai, don't ever change. Please."

Kiyoshi smiled at the small girl. "Yeah. See you next week then." He grinned at her as the teal haired girl then left the gym, with Aoi trailing at her heels. He smiled a small sad smile to himself. "One year, huh?" He mused, testing his foot gingerly on the court. "I only have this one year too. One year to bring Seirin to the top."

**XXXXXX**

In Shutoku High, Otsubo Taisuke was practicing his baskets on one half of the court whilst Midorima was occupying the other half, with two cages full of basketballs beside him. It was still early, and thus, the rest of the team wasn't there for practice yet. Even the coach wasn't present.

Like with Kise, Midorima had been all fired up after watching the Touou versus Seirin match, and had been diligently training all day and night. The green haired shooter was a little concerned about a certain teal haired girl though. He had word from Kise the other day about Aomine asking the blonde to accompany Tamaki to the hospital for her usual check up as he wasn't able to get away, and the teal haired girl seemed unusually down.

Midorima knew Tamaki well enough to know that she wouldn't just get this down for losing a match. Tamaki isn't a sore loser. The green haired shooter is sure that it most probably had something to do with her team, and maybe even the psychological damage dealt during the match.

Takao entered just then, a magazine in his hands, a curious look on his face. "Otsubo-san, who's Seirin's No. 7?" The Point Guard asked curiously. "When I went to return some DVDs to our clubroom, I found an article on Seirin in last year's Monthly Basketball." He flipped through the magazine until he found the article on Seirin. "And there was one guy that I didn't recognise."

Halfway across the court, Midorima's ears twitched.

After his loss to Seirin, he had gone and checked up on said team. Back in Teiko, it had been him, Akashi and Tamaki who are the brains of the Teiko team. And Midorima had found information on a certain player that had created quite an impression on the entire Teiko team back then.

"Must be him." Otsubo mused. "The guy who was Seirin's center last year." He explained to Takao. "Their team used to revolve around his and No. 4 Hyuuga's cooperative inside and outside play." He then frowned. Otsubo, Miyaji and Kimura have all been looking forward to facing that guy in last year's championship league. But he was a no-show, much to their disappointment. "But for some reason, he didn't show up at the championship league. If he had been there, we probably wouldn't have tripled their score." The Shutoku captain frowned. "No. We may even have lost." Otsubo said solemnly, much to Takao's shock.

"What?" Takao was sure for a moment that his ears were playing tricks on him. _'Last year they didn't have Tamaki or Kagami, and they had only just formed.' _He frowned. "How much credit are you going to give them?" Takao turned towards Midorima who is silently shooting three pointers. "Right, Shin-chan?" He then blinked, as if suddenly recalling that Midorima is also a freshman like him. "Oh. I guess you wouldn't know, huh?"

"I know him." Midorima said, turning around to face Takao, much to the latter's confusion. "From middle school. We only played him twice – once during the Inter High tournament of our freshman year, and another during the Nationals of our second year. But I remember him. And Tamaki most probably remembered him too. And if he is indeed in Seirin, then I'm mistaken. Seirin is _strong."_

Takao was both confused and bewildered. Just who the hell is Seirin's No. 7?

"What kind of guy is he?" Takao asked curiously. For even Midorima to give this guy that much praise, he must be a good player. And their stoic captain seemed to respect this guy too, despite the Seirin player being a year their captain's junior.

"It was similar to the recent Touou game." Midorima replied absently, forgetting that he wasn't supposed to be there – at least, in the minds of his Shutoku teammates. "In the face of overwhelming odds, just like Tamaki, he refused to give up until the very end. He is one of the few players during Teiko's history that actually forced us, the Generation of Miracles to go all out. Hence, he created quite a impression on all of us."

Takao was confused. "Hold on. That doesn't make any sense," he said seriously, the cogs turning in his brain. Midorima was confused. A mischievous grin then appeared on Takao's face as he finally put together the pieces. "You ended up going to see the championship league! 'I don't want to see it', my ass!" He laughed.

Midorima adjusted his glasses to hide his embarrassment. "I simply live nearby," he retorted, turning his back on Takao.

"You live far away!" Takao grinned. He should know, since he was the one always driving Midorima to and fro from school with that rear cart of his. "And in the opposite direction! I know!"

"Shut up!" A very embarrassed Midorima snapped.

The message tone from his phone gave him the excuse to break away from the conversation just then. The green haired shooter immediately made his way towards the bench and picked up his phone. The name of the recipient on his phone nearly caused Midorima to groan.

Whenever _that_ person contacts him, nothing good ever comes to mind.

**XXXXXX**

"That was reckless!" Riko scolded Kiyoshi in the clubroom.

The tall center had returned to the Seirin basketball team that day. And what was the first thing that he did but challenge Kagami in a mini one-on-one match, with the position of the team's ace going to the winner? The redhead had won naturally, but everyone could tell that there seems to be something weird going on with their freshmen.

"Seriously Kiyoshi, what are you planning?" Hyuuga demanded. "Suddenly challenging Kagami like this…"

"Eh? I'm not planning anything," said Kiyoshi with a goofy grin on his face.

Koganei sighed. "Well, that put aside, don't you feel that there seems to be something wrong with Tamaki?" he asked seriously.

The second years in the clubroom fell silent.

_Everyone_ could see that there seems to be something wrong with their lone female player. There was a short mini match held that day amongst all the basketball club members, and since this is the first time in a long time that Tamaki could play basketball at last, everyone was eager to see how Tamaki would perform. The teal haired girl had played as well as she usually did, but not once did she pass to Kagami in that mini match.

Riko sighed. "Even you boys could tell, huh?" she mused. "Well, it'll be all right. I've sent Izuki-kun to sound her out. He's been the one walking her home after training lately." She added.

**XXXXXX**

"So are you going to tell me what's bothering you now?" Izuki asked tiredly, the teal haired girl walking next to him. Tamaki said nothing. "It's Kagami, right?"

Tamaki stopped dead in her tracks, and Izuki knew that he had hit the nail on the head. The point guard sighed. "What did he do this time?"

Tamaki said nothing for awhile. And just as Izuki was about to open his mouth to say something, Tamaki spoke. "His basketball…has now gone back to the way that he is playing when he'd just joined the team. To how he had played during the Shutoku match. A one man basketball," she said. "And the way how he thinks now…is just like _them."_

Izuki studied Tamaki closely. "Did Kagami say anything to you?" he asked. Knowing that idiot, he is sure that Kagami had said something to Tamaki. She might not show it, but Tamaki _is_ still a girl. She can get hurt if the redhead had said something particularly cruel.

"He…doesn't want me to pass to him anymore," said Tamaki sadly, and Izuki's eyes widened in shock. "He…doesn't need me anymore. Is he going to change too, Izuki-sempai?"

Izuki was confused. Too? What does she mean? "What do you mean, Tamaki?" he asked seriously, seeing that there might just be something much more serious than just Kagami abandoning Tamaki here.

Tamaki smiled a small smile. "I see. I didn't really tell the team about Teiko, did I?" she mused. "The reason why I'd picked Seirin as my choice of high school had quite a few reasons. One of the main ones is that Seirin…reminds me of the Generation of Miracles during our first year, though of course, we weren't even named that then." Tamaki smiled. "We went through quite a bit during first year, but when it comes down to it, all of us started playing basketball because we love it. We became as good as we were because we love the sport in the first place. That should be the only time when we were truly a team _team."_

Izuki stayed quiet, listening to Tamaki. The teal haired girl had never spoken about her past in Teiko, and by some unspoken agreement, the Seirin team had never asked her about it. In fact, Izuki is sure that probably, Kagami is the only one in Seirin that knew about her past in Teiko.

"But they started changing during third year." Tamaki said softly. "And by the time that I'd realised it, it was too late. I couldn't say anything. And neither could I do anything. After all, I had been the one to push them to what they have become. How can I say anything?" She asked sadly, much to Izuki's confusion, but he didn't push further. "The other five relied on me and my play. But like Aomine-kun, they started blossoming, and each started to play individually. That's why… The team fell apart in third year. I can't stand seeing them play like that. Seeing them play basketball like it's the one thing on earth that they hate the most. That's why I left. Then when I came to Seirin, it makes me feel like it's first year all over again. And then Kagami-kun… He reminds me so much of Aomine-kun. At least, the him in the past. And then, after the Touou match, he told me _that." _She looked sad.

"_In the face of overwhelming power, I don't think we can win just by working together."_

"_I don't need you to pass to me any longer."_

"How am I supposed to react upon hearing that?" Tamaki asked, feeling the onslaught of tears, and she quickly blinked them away. If there's one thing that she hates, it's appearing weak in front of others. The only people whom she had ever cried in front of are only her cousin and Aomine. "That's like the second time that I'm hearing it."

"Second time?" Izuki asked carefully.

He felt white hot fury bubbling inside him the more that he listened to Tamaki speak. He wants nothing more than to hunt down a certain idiotic redhead right this instant and shake him until he had some sense knocked into his head. What kind of man would make a girl this upset? And what kind of man would leave an upset girl alone in the cold locker room?

Izuki wasn't stupid. And his Eagle Eye isn't used solely on the court either. He is just as down about their devastating loss to Touou like everyone in his team, but he had noticed that Tamaki wasn't on the train with them when they've returned to their homes after the match that day. Kagami had been the last one to join them, but Tamaki wasn't with them.

Kagami had all but abandoned his partner on that day.

"During my third year of Teiko, Aomine-kun…said the same thing to me too." Tamaki said sadly. She had already forgiven him for this, as Aomine's reason for 'I don't need you to pass to me any longer' is different from Kagami's. Aomine said that so that Tamaki doesn't need to appear on the court as often as she need to. He said that so that he could protect her from any further court injuries. But Kagami… "And now, Kagami-kun said the same thing too. Is the same thing going to happen again, Izuki-sempai? Will Kagami-kun…change too? Will he be the second coming of Aomine-kun? Will Seirin…go down the path of the Generation of Miracles? Will history repeat itself?" Tamaki stared at Izuki's shocked face. "I don't want to see that happen. I don't want the same thing that had happened to _us_ happen to Seirin too."

By this point of time, both Izuki and Tamaki have ended up outside of her apartment. Izuki bit on his lip, not knowing just what to say. He wanted to assure Tamaki that Kagami wouldn't change, that Seirin wouldn't change. But the seventeen-year-old teen knew that people _do_ change with time. Just look at Hyuuga.

When they were in middle school, Hyuuga had been more passionate about basketball than any other. But with the continuous losses against the teams from other schools, he grew to hate that sport, and had gradually dropped it all together by the time that they were in their third year. Hyuuga wanted to go through his high school life without touching basketball ever again. But as fate would have it, he had to run into Kiyoshi who had to be the weirdest and strangest guy that Izuki had ever met.

Izuki smiled at Tamaki, placing one hand atop her soft teal hair. Tamaki had been like a little sister to the Seirin team, as apart from Mitobe and Koganei, the rest of them have been the only child in their family. And Tamaki is the youngest in their team as well.

"Don't worry so much about it." Izuki told Tamaki. "I'll do something about it. I don't know about Kagami, and I can't read the future. But I can tell you one thing, Tamaki. No one on Seirin will ever come to hate basketball the way that the Generation of Miracles did. The day that we do will be the day when we quit basketball." He grinned at Tamaki who can't help but smile back. "After all, our basketball team was started up in the first place because all of us loves basketball for what it is. You should ask Kiyoshi or Hyuuga one day how the basketball team was first started up. And if we ever end up being too arrogant for our own good, you can be sure that the coach will smack some sense back into us."

Tamaki giggled at that, knowing that that is true. Izuki grinned at hearing Tamaki laugh. No one had seen or even heard Tamaki laugh for days ever since the Touou match, since she's been so down lately.

"So you can rest assured," said Izuki comfortingly. "I'll do something about this. After all, it is an upperclassman's job to guide the underclassmen too. That's why… It'll be all right."

Tamaki smiled and nodded. "Thank you, Izuki-sempai."

* * *

Izuki got his chance to 'speak' to Kagami after training the next day.

Training had ended earlier that day, and that is because of a practice match that Riko had scheduled for them with Tokushin. Tokushin wasn't pleased at the fact that Seirin had put all five freshmen as their starters, and it had been a close victory for Seirin, with them only managing to scrap a victory because of Kagami and Tamaki. And even so, the two of them weren't working as well as before.

"Kagami." Izuki called out to the redhead as the two were leaving the school. The redhead turned around in surprise to see the second year behind him. "Can we talk?"

"Izuki-sempai?" Kagami was confused. "S-Sure."

"Come with me." Izuki said, leading the way towards the nearby park, with Kagami following him.

The redhead suddenly had the feeling that he'd done something _very_ wrong. When they reached the park, Izuki turned around to face the redhead. And even though Kagami was at least one and a half heads taller than Izuki, he suddenly felt rather intimidated by the usually mild tempered Point Guard.

"What did you say to Tamaki?" Izuki asked bluntly, going straight to the point. Kagami only got more confused. "What did you say to her to make her this upset?" Izuki tried hard to control his temper that was just begging to lash out at Kagami.

"Huh? Upset?" Kagami was confused. "I only want to stop our coordination play for the time being as we grow at our own strength. Team play alone won't stop a member of the Generation of Miracles!" He protested.

Izuki only got more annoyed with Kagami. "The way that you're talking right now sounds just like them!" he told Kagami, much to his shock. "You're going back to how you were when you had first joined the team! Kagami, I know that you're frustrated with our loss to Touou, but you shouldn't take it out on Tamaki! You know about her past at Teiko, don't you?" Kagami nodded silently. "Then how do you think she will feel when she hear the same words once spoken to her when she's at Teiko coming from _you_ this time?" Kagami's eyes widened in shock. "Don't you think that she will feel hurt, and maybe even worried that Seirin will be the second coming of the Generation of Miracles? That _you_ will become what her previous partner had been? Before you start blaming and alienating yourself from your friends and teammates, think about how they will feel!"

Kagami's eyes widened.

"_By the time that we're in our third year, I can honestly say that no one on Teiko loves playing basketball anymore. **They** changed. But more importantly of all, **he** changed the most."_

"_Aomine-kun grew disheartened. What he wanted is a rival that could stand on par with him. But no matter how hard he had searched, he had never found one. Probably, it's around that time when he started developing a dislike for basketball."_

"_I'll beat him and wake him up." Kagami vowed. "You can't help me this time around, but I'll fight for your share too."_

Kagami clenched his hands into fists. So that's it. He had been so focused on becoming stronger that he had almost forgotten what is most important to him. "Sorry sempai. And thank you very much!"

Kagami bowed to Izuki before taking off, in search of his partner.

'_That's right. I'm her partner! She stuck by me throughout everything, even choosing me to be her partner, her 'light'. I shouldn't abandon her like this! We lose together, we grow stronger together, and we win together!'_

**XXXXXX**

"Her limit?" Riko asked Kiyoshi blankly, with the two currently at Maji Burger's.

Kiyoshi nodded solemnly. "To put positively, Tamaki's current style of basketball utilises her teammates," he explained. "Depending on the other four, she can be strong or weak. But to put negatively, she relies on others. In order to break through this wall, she needs to abandon this style."

"Abandon it?" Riko was bewildered. Abandon the style that had saved Seirin countless times?

Kiyoshi nodded solemnly. _'She needs to get back her old style,'_ he thought. _'It's not like I can't understand what Tamaki is thinking. With her injury, she must have run up against a wall, and thought that she can never utilise her original style again. But it is possible. It is either that, or she must create a new style of her own. One that doesn't really depends on others.'_

"But still, abandon it?" Riko was conflicted. She saw the sense in Kiyoshi's words, but still… "But that's the style that Tamaki-chan has honed through trial and error."

"Exactly," said Kiyoshi. "That's why she has to abandon it." He pondered on something for a moment. "Besides, her strength doesn't just stop there. Her original style has limitless potential. The one to decide her limit will be Tamaki herself."

"Original style?" Riko echoed. "Mirage?" She recalled the play that Tamaki had used during the Shutoku match. And to this day, Riko still wasn't able to figure out just how it had worked.

"Well that too. But her Mirage style doesn't just stop at what you've seen her use during the Shutoku match," said Kiyoshi with a smile. "I've played against her during middle school. I know her strength. She's just run up against a wall right now. But if she is the Kuroko Tamaki whom I knew and had played against back in middle school, she isn't one to give in just like this." He chuckled. "That girl doesn't know how to give up. She is a tactical player through and through. Her greatest asset isn't her skills on the court alone. It is her mind. She will certainly find a way to get over this. And besides…" Kiyoshi smiled as he saw Kagami run past Maji Burger. "I think that both our freshmen starters will be all right now."

Riko smiled. Looks like Izuki had played his part. "Boys are so nice," she said wistfully. _'Looks like everything will be all right now.'_

**XXXXXX**

In the street basketball court not far away from the school, which ironically is also the same place where Tamaki had once played against Kagami in a one-on-one, is also where the teal haired girl is right now.

A number of coloured cones are placed all over the court, and Tamaki dribbled the ball with her right hand repeatedly.

"_But aren't you the one assuming that's your limit?"_

'_I'm taking it back!'_ Tamaki thought to herself. _'My old style. And I'll create a new stronger one from it. I don't care even if everyone thinks that it's impossible for me to shoot right now. I'll prove them wrong. Like how I'd proved them wrong when I'd first created Mirage.'_

She took a half step towards her right, manoeuvring neatly around the coloured cone set up there, moving towards the left around it. What followed after that was a flurry of movements of limbs and steps that seems oddly familiar to the play that a certain tanned player had used during the Touou versus Seirin match.

"Tamaki!"

Tamaki paused in mid-step, and she turned only to see a heavily panting Kagami who seemed to have ran all the way here. The teal haired girl blinked. "Kagami-kun?"

"I'm…sorry." Kagami blurted out all of a sudden, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly. "I…didn't mean anything by what I'd said. I just thought…that it would be best for the both of us if we separate for the time being to grow at our own pace. I didn't think that…" _'That what I'd said back then is so similar to what had happened during your time in Teiko.'_

Tamaki said nothing to that. "The past in Teiko isn't something that we can just forget that easily," she said simply, reading Kagami's mind as always.

Kagami stayed silent for several moments. "I've been wondering for sometime now," he said. "Why did you pick me as your partner?"

Tamaki stayed silent. "I hadn't been entirely truthful with you," she said at last, turning to face Kagami. "It is true that I became the sixth player in the Generation of Miracles. Their trump card if you will. Back during my first year, Teiko was a lot like Seirin. But near the end of our second year, Aomine-kun was the first to begin blossoming. The other five followed his example not long after that. That's why the team fell apart in third year. They began placing their trust in themselves over anything else." She glanced at Kagami. "The truth is that it didn't really have to be you. The current me can't beat them on my own. That's why I simply wanted to use you to force the Generation of Miracles to recognise the error of their ways. That's all there is to it."

Kagami sighed. "I was wondering what you're worrying about for the past week or so. So it's something like this?" he huffed. "I had a feeling that it's something like this." He looked at Tamaki. "You said it before too, right? That I feel just like them."

"Yeah."

Kagami sighed. "Well, I can't say that I _won't_ change in the future," he said hesitantly. "But I can tell you right now that I will never hate basketball, and neither will I play alone. Playing basketball with everyone… It is a nice feeling."

Tamaki smiled and nodded. "Yeah."

"Besides, what are you doing out this late anyway?" Kagami asked, annoyed. "You've just recovered from a cold, didn't you?"

"I'm taking it back," said Tamaki calmly, much to Kagami's confusion. "My old style. I'll create a new one from it. I'll become stronger. And no matter what it takes, it'll be ready by winter. I only have this one year to do it after all."

**XXXXXX**

Riko frowned as she rewind the tape of a match that Teiko Middle School had with some unknown school during the National tournament two years ago. Kiyoshi's words to her two days ago had her thinking, and thus, she dug up a video of Teiko Middle School that she had in her collection.

'_Strange. If Kiyoshi hadn't pointed it out, I would never have noticed it either. Tamaki-chan's style… It is entirely differently from during her first and second years at Teiko. Why did she change it? It is obviously stronger and more lethal, as compared to her current style.'_

The door to the clubroom opened just then, and Hyuuga walked in, surprised to see Riko still present. "Coach? What are you still doing here?"

"Well, I've just been wondering about something, that's all." Riko mused as Hyuuga stepped up next to her. "Tamaki-chan."

"What about her?" Hyuuga asked warily.

"I've just been wondering something. Hyuuga-kun, have you seen her use her left hand for _anything_ at all?" Riko asked, turning to face the basketball captain who looked confused at this question.

"Huh?" Hyuuga frowned, trying to remember what he could of the quietest member on the team. "Now that you've mentioned it…" He frowned. "No. I don't believe so." He said at last.

Riko frowned, turning back towards the screen. _'Tamaki-chan is originally left-handed during her first two years at Teiko,'_ she thought, rewinding the tape once more and playing it. The teal haired Teiko player on the screen smacked the ball towards Teiko No. 5 with her left hand. The ball was quickly returned to her, and the teal haired girl disappeared. _'And now, she's right handed.'_ Riko shut her eyes, trying to remember what she could of the teal haired girl's current playing style. _'People don't just change their dominant hands like that. And her style. It is entirely different from her time in Teiko. What happened back then?' _She wondered.

**XXXXXX**

"Tamacchi, you're here!" Kise wailed, lunging himself onto Tamaki the moment that the teal haired girl had arrived at the Kise mansion with her boyfriend. Said boyfriend immediately kicked Kise away from manhandling his girlfriend, an annoyed look on his face.

Oh hell no. No guy is going to hug his girlfriend or even _touch_ her in a less than friendly manner when he's around, no thank you!

"Don't touch Tamaki, Kise!" Aomine told the blonde, very annoyed.

"So mean!" Kise pouted, telltale tears starting to well up in his eyes.

"Here are the drinks that you've asked for, Kise-kun." Tamaki interrupted, holding up a dispensable bag that contains several bottles of soda and drinks.

Kise beamed. "Thank you!" he beamed. "Nearly everyone is here! Come in! I have to go and pick up some of the cakes for Murasaki-cchi soon!"

"Atsushi-kun is here already?" Tamaki asked even as she removed her shoes and entered the mansion, with Aomine behind her. "When did he get to Tokyo from Akita?"

It is the Generation of Miracles' yearly reunion, a tradition that had begun ever since their third year when the legendary team became a complete team during the summer of their second year with Kise's addition.

All the members of the Generation of Miracles had received the same message from their former captain a few days ago, informing them of the usual reunion party, though this time around, it's kind of a sleepover kind of thing. And hence, Kise had kindly offered the usage of his mansion, as his parents are on one of their usual around the world expeditions.

"Both he and Akashi-cchi arrived in Tokyo yesterday night." Kise beamed as he showed the two into the dining room that had been turned into some sort of party room.

In a corner of the room, Akashi and Midorima were engaged in one of their usual shogi showdowns. Currently, the score stands at 589:0.

"So Akashi, why the sudden reunion? And a sleepover furthermore," said Midorima as he moved a piece.

"Well, Tama has been rather down lately, and I thought it a good idea if she sees everyone again." Akashi smirked, moving another shogi piece and checkmating Midorima, much to the latter's frustration. "I win. And Shintaro, go with Ryota to pick up Atsushi's snacks before he starts crying."

* * *

"Why do I have to go with you?" Midorima was grumbling an hour later as both the blonde and the green haired shooter were ladled down with boxes of cakes and goodies that should be enough to feed an entire army.

"It's Akashi-cchi's order! We can't help it!" Kise wailed.

Midorima sighed. "I somehow feel that there is something more than just a mere reunion," he mumbled.

Kise chuckled nervously. "If Akashi-cchi is involved, I don't doubt it," he stated.

"Hey. You two." Both members of the Generation of Miracles turned only to see a certain redhead behind them, a frown on his face. "Do you both mind if I take up a minute? I need to talk to you."

"Yes, I mind," said Midorima irritably. "We have somewhere to be, so we do not have the time to talk to you."

"Some kind of party?" Kagami asked, eyeing the number of boxes and bags that both members of the Generation of Miracles are holding. Holy… The number of goodies and cakes that they are carrying should be enough to feed an entire army!

"A reunion." Kise said cheerfully. "What is it, Kagami-cchi? We have to hurry back, so do make it short." He shivered inwardly at what Akashi would do should they take their time getting back.

"It's about Tamaki," said Kagami seriously, and both boys immediately turned serious, particularly Midorima. The two exchanged looks. "Is there something wrong with her left hand?"

Midorima looked sharply at Kagami. Tamaki didn't tell her team or even Kagami about her hand? He had assumed that they knew about it. And judging by the look on Kise's face, he probably knew that Tamaki _didn't_ tell her team.

"What makes you say that?" Kise tried to keep a straight face. And being a model, he can lie extremely well.

Kagami narrowed his eyes at Kise. "I've noticed it for some time now. She never ever uses her left hand for anything. Even in matches, even if the ball is coming towards her left side, she will always use her right hand to pass the ball, never her left. I've played with her long enough by now to be able to see it. And her play style. She's mentioned as much that she changed her style during her third year in Teiko. Why did she change it in the first place? Is there something wrong with her hand?"

* * *

"I freaking hate parties." Aomine groaned from the balcony on the second floor that overlooks the swimming pool. It is currently night-time, and the party is getting well underway. And when beer is involved, Aomine makes sure to get out of the way.

Currently, Tamaki and Midorima were both standing with him at the balcony, since Tamaki wanted some fresh air, and Midorima swore that he is getting a headache from all that loud music that is currently playing.

"We ran into Kagami earlier when Kise and I were picking up the cakes and goodies for Murasakibara." Midorima was telling Tamaki. "Kise doesn't look surprised that Kagami doesn't know about your left hand. Tamaki, Seirin doesn't know, do they?"

Tamaki shook her head. "…No." She said. "I don't want them to know unless they absolutely have to. I don't want to see the looks on their faces that I see on nearly everyone back then."

Midorima sighed. He had a feeling that that is the reason. "Well, I'm not too fond of Seirin, but I think it'll be all right," he said. "They don't seem the type to pity people." He muttered something before turning away. "I need a drink."

"I heard that Seirin had some real issues after our match." Aomine told Tamaki. "Are they all right now?"

"Yeah." Tamaki smiled a soft smile at him – the smile that she only shows to Aomine. "They're all right now. Our next target is the Winter Cup. We won't lose this time."

Aomine smirked. "Well, I'll look forward to it. Maybe Seirin will stand a chance this time with you on the court," he said. He knew better than anyone else just how different the game could flow with Tamaki on the court. She can control the flow of the game after all, though it isn't something that she utilises often.

"Let's just stop talking about the upcoming Winter Cup." Tamaki sighed. "Kagami-kun has it in his head to beat you at all costs, and I don't like how Seirin thinks of you and Touou as enemies."

Aomine huffed. "They aren't trained by the old man like how we are," he told Tamaki whose lips twitched. Aomine always called their coach at Teiko 'old man', despite the fact that the man isn't even older than forty. "He always told us to keep our personal issues off the court. And whatever issues that we have _on_ the court, we keep it on it. 'Keep your basketball and personal life separate', is what he always told us. Just because we're enemies on the court doesn't mean that we still have to be it off court."

"I wonder how everyone at Teiko is doing now." Tamaki said wistfully. "We should go back for a visit someday. It's the Nationals' finals soon, isn't it?"

"I guess," said Aomine uncaringly. "I don't really care. Let's just stop talking about this." He grinned at Tamaki. After middle school, he didn't think that he would ever get to patch up with Tamaki, let alone confess to her. He really had to thank Satsuki, his mother, and much as he hates to admit it, Akashi for this. "Want to do something fun?"

Tamaki looked at him warily.

Aomine's idea of 'fun' always borders on borderline crazy. She had already lost count of the number of times when she was always dragged into Kise and Aomine's crazy schemes back at middle school.

"What do you have in mind?" Tamaki asked.

Aomine grinned before holding out his right hand for her. Tamaki stared at it for some time before taking his right hand. The tanned teen then brought Tamaki closer to his body, and the teal haired girl gasped as Aomine enveloped her in a hug.

"D-Daiki?"

"Just hang on." Aomine grinned, even as he held Tamaki tightly, and climbed onto the railings of the balcony. Tamaki's eyes widened as she realised what Aomine had in mind. "Hold on tight." He smirked before he leapt off the balcony.

Tamaki immediately clung onto his neck tightly for dear life, screwing her eyes shut, even as they both took a swan dive off the balcony on the second storey and landed into the pool with a loud splash. With the loud music currently playing inside the mansion, and with some activities that involves beer, no one will be able to hear the splash made.

The two teens were immediately submerged into the dark waters of the pool, going down to the bottom of it. After a few seconds, Tamaki immediately tried swimming upwards towards the surface, but was dragged down by Aomine, much to her surprise, and she felt a pair of lips planted on her own.

It is a strange experience, kissing within the pool, but one that Tamaki didn't mind in the least. The waters of the pool were cold, as Kise didn't bother to heat it up, since no one actually planned to take a dip right now. But to Tamaki, it seemed to be getting heated up, especially with how Aomine had kissed her.

So full of passion like fire, almost lighting up something within her.

Aomine smirked to himself as he felt Tamaki kissing him back just as urgently as he had kissed her. He returned the kiss with as much passion, hands roaming over Tamaki's body, marvelling at how petite and slender that she is, also with how smooth that her skin is, even underwater.

For the first time in his life, Aomine thanked their old coach at Teiko over and over again in his head for making them go through the pool endurance training during their first year at Teiko. Kashitori had made all of them go underwater for two minutes at least. His reasoning is that it would help to increase their stamina. But considering the fact that all of them have nearly drowned the first few times, it didn't make them too happy.

But this time, Aomine is thankful for the training, since it meant that he could stay underwater with Tamaki for a little longer like this.

He was surprised when a pair of arms encircled around his neck, and Tamaki deepened their kiss with urgency and heated passion, something that Aomine returned even as he felt his lungs burning, and both of them resurfaced once more.

They both broke the kiss, but Aomine never released his hold on Tamaki, and neither did she him, even as the teal haired girl coughed as she tried to get oxygen into her lungs, pushing her dripping wet hair out of her eyes. She is completely soaked through, with the white tee that she had on almost transparent and see through. And thankfully, she is wearing a red bikini set beneath it.

But Aomine couldn't be happier about seeing this side of Tamaki.

"What was that for?" Tamaki asked at last, after having gotten her breath back, and Aomine grinned at her mischievously.

"Well, I just felt like it," said Aomine with a grin. "At least out here, Akashi couldn't come and threaten me with his scissors."

Tamaki sighed, knowing how her over protective cousin could get at times. "Knowing Sei, he probably already knew what you're up to. But for this time, he'll probably let us be, as long as you don't go over the line," she said.

Her cousin had been unusually happy for a few weeks now, ever since he had gotten word about that therapist in Kyoto. Last that she'd heard, Akashi had been meeting up with said therapist at least once a week to talk.

Aomine pressed his lips against hers, feeling a bead of water flow down his back, the water sticking his black tee to his skin, kissing her with as much passion as he did underwater. Finally, as he broke the kiss once more, Aomine grinned at her.

"One more round?" he asked.

Tamaki could not say no to that.

* * *

_A/N: Another emotional chapter, I guess, though between the Seirin team this time around. I want this chapter to focus more on them for this chapter, as I've been emphasising a lot more on Tamaki and the Generation of Miracles for the past few chapters, especially Aomine._

_As for Izuki, he didn't really get a lot of screen time in canon, aside from all those puns he loves so much, so I hope that I got his character right. But it seems to me that he's the type to be concerned about his teammates._

_The underwater scene is an idea inspirited from some story that I've read sometime back, and I can't exactly remember which one, since I've read so many stories in the KnB fandom! Let me know if you know which one it is so that I can give the necessary credit. I'm also seriously considering another original chapter in which the GoM went back to Teiko for a visit, maybe to their old coach and basketball team? I can just imagine the hero worship that their old team would do to them._

_Anyway, there are some new KnB stories coming up, though I won't start on it until I'm finished with at least some of the stories I'm currently juggling with._

_**Broken Glass**_

To be a shadow means to be unnoticeable. But how can one _not _be noticeable, especially after the entire Seirin team discovered that their team's shadow is a victim of domestic abuse? Friendship fic.

_**Fallen Shadow**_

She only went to Touou because her best friend begged her. Never did she expect for Fate to be so cruel to her as to force her to face him every single day. Fem!KurokoXAomine

_**Weeping Words**_

What if Momoi had enough of Aomine in third year, and promptly followed Kuroko to Seirin? How would this change the story?

_**Fallen Shards**_

RPG AU. The different arcane guilds had always been at loggerheads with each other, especially the legendary guild, Teiko, which was led by six of the highest class of warriors that had ever existed, the Kiseki no Sedai. But when the very life of the world, the Mimir Tree was threatened, the guilds must put aside their differences and fight for a common goal. The war has begun. Fem!KurokoXAomine

_**Shattered Soul**_

To gain one's trust is difficult. To lose one's trust is easy. Kagami Taiga found that out the hard way during the Winter Cup celebration night when he forced himself on his partner in a drunken stupor. The Generation of Miracles are not amused. And a certain tanned player is _furious._ Fem!Kuroko/Aomine. Implications of rape.

_Let me know what you think of these ideas, and which one you would like me to start first. Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update! My updates might be a tad bit slow for now, as assignments are piling up!_


	19. Training Camp from Hell

_Tamaki's left hand: _Well, they're going to find out pretty soon about her hand injury. Right now, amongst the Seirin team, it is only Kiyoshi who knew about it. Riko had her own suspicions, but she doesn't know yet for sure.

_Her new style:_ Well, I'm still brainstorming about it here, but it won't be too different from what Kuroko actually does in canon. I mean, yeah, I like making things different, but I don't do _too_ differently. Otherwise, it might as well be an OC with the name Kuroko!

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Eighteen: Training Camp from Hell**

"_Aren't you the one denying yourself?" - Kashitori Kenta_

**XXXXXX**

Weekends for the Seirin basketball team are usually used for relaxation before they have to go back to their usual hellish training by their demon coach. It is only a few of the training freaks in the team like Kagami and Tamaki who will even spend the weekends training too, even though they're really supposed to rest.

Thus, on a Saturday morning, one could find Kuroko Tamaki standing on the front steps of her door, staring at a certain tanned boyfriend of hers, with her dog sitting just next to her foot, tail wagging happily.

Aomine Daiki was grinning at her in his usual cheeky manner – one that she hadn't seen since middle school, and he is currently sitting atop a sleek dark blue and white motorcycle. Tamaki raised an eyebrow at this sight, before she sighed.

"I'm surprised that you're already up at this hour," she deadpanned. Aomine usually only got up a little past noon. The boy can literally fall asleep anywhere. "And what's with the bike?"

"Well, I got my license last week." Aomine grinned. "So… Want a ride?"

Tamaki sighed before shrugging, lifting Aoi gently. "Well, I guess so. I'm heading towards Teiko for a visit. Do you want to come with me?"

**XXXXXX**

"It seems almost like years since we were back here. It's difficult to think that it's only been a few months." Aomine mused as the two walked into the school courtyard of Teiko after reporting to the security outpost.

"Yeah well…" Tamaki sighed, heading into the direction of the four gyms that were allotted for the usage of the Teiko basketball team. It almost feels nostalgic; like she's back in middle school again, and heading for club practice.

It may be a Saturday, but Tamaki knew that the first string and second string players of Teiko generally trains on Saturdays as well. And the teal haired girl is kind of curious to see just how well that the basketball team has fared with the graduation of the Generation of Miracles. The current first string regulars are their successors after all.

Even if they're no longer in Teiko, Tamaki knew her former teammates well enough to know that they will not be pleased in the least if the new regulars should drag the name of Teiko through the mud, like what Haizaki had done back during their first year. The fact that Haizaki kept committing fouls and has a tendency to play violent basketball isn't the only reason why Akashi had forced the gray haired teen to quit the club.

There were several other reasons attached to it, though the last straw came when the Generation of Miracles caught Haizaki trying to force himself on Tamaki during their second year. Aomine had actually punched Haizaki in the nose so hard that the tanned teen nearly fractured the bones in his right hand, and Haizaki actually broke his nose.

Aomine chuckled as they got nearer to the first gym where the first and second string members usually practiced. It is really like they're back in Teiko all over again, since this is the usual route that they usually took to get to the gym.

"How nostalgic," he mused, almost as if reading Tamaki's mind. "It is almost like middle school all over again. It's difficult to believe that it's only less than a year since we've graduated. And by the way…" Aomine glanced at Tamaki. "Why did you come to Teiko all of a sudden? I know that Akashi had been talking about a visit one of these days, but he wasn't planning for a visit until after the Winter Cup."

Tamaki said nothing for several moments. "…It's just… I feel like something is missing in my basketball," she said at last. "After the match with your team, it feels like something is missing." She looked at Aomine. "Back in Teiko, you and the others guarded me all that you could whilst I'm on the court, so I never have to worry more than just passing the ball. But this time, it's different. That's why…" She looked at her left wrist. "I'm taking it back. My old style. And I'll create a new one from it."

The two entered the first gym of Teiko just then, and the silent atmosphere that had been surrounding them was immediately destroyed.

There were loud shouts and yells for formation changes, even the shouts from player to player, shouting about the ball's current location. Both Aomine and Tamaki smiled simultaneously at the sight, even if the smile on Tamaki's face was small. Even for Aomine who can't find any enjoyment in the game anymore, Teiko had been where he had the best experiences in basketball after all. The Generation of Miracles had been a close knit group, and they still are, despite being in different high schools.

Teiko's coach – a man with messy brunette hair that falls lightly into his eyes looked up as Aomine and Tamaki entered the gym, and he smiled lightly. Kashitori Kenta then walked towards the two former Teiko regulars.

"It's been some time, you two." Kashitori greeted the two. "How does it feel being back here?"

"Well, it feels strange." Aomine muttered, scratching idly at his cheek with one finger. "It's like we're back in middle school all over again. I half expected for Akashi to be standing on one of the courts, yelling at us to resume practice. That guy's a demon from Hell when it comes to training."

Kashitori chuckled, recalling the antics of the former Teiko captain. And then again, don't all the Generation of Miracles have their own antics too? The only sane ones that he could name are probably only Tamaki.

"Ah. That boy." Kashitori smiled. "Aomine, would you like to play a round with the new regulars, your successors?" He grinned at the dismayed look on the tanned teen's face. "I'm sure that it would give them some motivation. The Inter High finals are around the corner, and we're facing Suguyama Middle School."

"Suguyama? Oh. That school." Aomine muttered. "Well, I guess a round or two wouldn't hurt." He muttered, stripping out of his fur trimmed jacket, leaving him in only a sleeveless white shirt that showed off his toned muscles, as well as black pants and basketball shoes. He then handed his jacket to Tamaki, before heading off towards the court that the first string regulars are occupying.

"It's great to have you both back, even if it's just for a short visit." Kashitori told Tamaki even as he walked back towards the bench, picking up the clipboard that he had left behind. "Suwa, your defense is weak! Focus!"

"Hai!"

"Thank you for agreeing to my request, Coach Kashitori." Tamaki bowed politely to the coach who chuckled.

"And you're as polite as ever," said Kashitori. They both sat in silence for several moments, watching the ongoing practice games. The players occupying the court that Aomine is in were currently doing very impressive imitations of goldfishes by staring at him with wide eyes and opened mouths. "It's nostalgic, isn't it? It's been barely a year since you and the others were last here. Your three years here did some extreme changes to the reputation and play of Teiko." He chuckled. "I still remembered when you and Momoi-san came to me during your first year, and asked me to be the basketball coach of Teiko. I was hesitant in the beginning, since I'd never coached a middle school basketball team before, but looking back on it now, I didn't regret that choice. But I made some mistakes with you kids too." He sighed. "It is true that winning is important for a sportsman. But to develop the manner of thinking that winning is everything that matters… That was my mistake. But I'm glad to see that you don't hate basketball anymore." He smiled knowingly at Tamaki. "The fact that the team fell apart in third year was partly my fault."

"I'll bring them back." Tamaki said quietly. "I will."

Kashitori glanced at the teal haired girl. "I saw the match between Seirin and Touou during the Inter High," he told Tamaki. "That calculated play during the second and third quarters… That was your work, wasn't it?" Tamaki said nothing. "Tamaki, you are a tactical type of player. That fact can't change. On court or off court, it makes no difference. Your greatest asset in basketball isn't your basketball style. It is your mind. You change your play and strategy accordingly to the team that you're facing. That's how you support your team, not just with your Mirage style or even misdirection. Your style and skill are different from the other five. Like what Midorima had said once, your basketball is different from them. It belongs in a different world."

"My strategies can't help anyone." Tamaki stated. "It is _because_ of my tactical play that leads the team to become what they have became in third year. I don't want Seirin to end up like them."

Kashitori sighed. "It is true. They've become _too_ strong for their own good during your third year. Even the other members of the club feared the regulars. But then again, it is their choice to become what they have became. It is no one's fault but their own. They _choose_ to change. And besides, during your first two years, the team mostly relied on Momoi-san's data, and your strategies for victories. You, Akashi-kun and Midorima are the brains of the team. But when a game is going on, it is _your_ strategies that had helped the team time and again. How many times have you saved the team with your strategies? And it's not just the regulars too."

Tamaki covered her left wrist with her right hand. "I can't play the same way that I used to. The situation is different now. No matter what, I have to take back my old style. Or at the very least, create a new one. But no matter how hard that I've tried, I've never been able to succeed before. I…have my own limits in what I could do. Saying that I want to become stronger and create a new style and all that… It sounds nice, but it's easier said than done."

Kashitori had a knowing look on his face. "Well, I can understand that. You were stuck in a rut after that incident in second year, and the rest of the team were _furious._ You even wanted to resign from your post as vice-captain and leave the club entirely. But Akashi-kun refused to let you do that. But Tamaki…" The Teiko coach looked at Tamaki knowingly. "Aren't you the one denying yourself?" He asked, and Tamaki looked at him curiously. "Because everyone around you is saying that it's impossible for you to use your right hand to shoot or even play like how you once could, aren't you unconsciously following their tune? Your limits are decided by yourself. Your style is different from others. It has limitless potential. _You_ are the one to decide just how far you can bring it."

**XXXXXX**

"Summer vacation, huh?" Kagami mused even as the dismissal bell rang, and he packed his books slowly. He turned around in his seat to face Tamaki who had the seat behind him. "So you have any plans for summer vacation?"

"The usual, I guess," was Tamaki's answer. "But I'm pretty sure that the coach has something lined up for us during the summer holidays. Winter is an all-out war for us after all…against the Generation of Miracles."

Kagami looked confused for a second before realisation dawned on his face. "Ah. Right. Coach and the captain have been asking for your help in team formations and training, even strategies on the court," he realised.

The redhead had almost forgotten that Tamaki is kind of the unofficial basketball team's manager right now. And if Kagami thought that Tamaki is already scary enough on the court with her misdirection, then he hadn't seen anything yet with her tactical plays and strategies when she put it to full use.

Riko was nearly drooling at one practice when Tamaki showed just what she could do when the brunette coach had pitted the basketball team in a mock match against each other. It is rather like what was shown rather briefly during the Touou match. Tamaki just needs five or so minutes to read their play and formation, and she can then come up with a proper plan of action. They might just have a chance in the Winter Cup after all.

"But really, why didn't you tell us that you can do this before?" Kagami asked as the two walked out of the classroom, heading towards the gym. "It would have made our matches a lot easier if you had told us what you can do."

Tamaki looked at him oddly. _"That's_ why I didn't tell the team in the first place. I don't want you to be too overly reliant on me and my strategies," she explained. _'That's partly why Teiko fell apart in the first place after all.' _"Besides…" She glanced at Kagami. "A lot of my strategies and formations are originally used by the Generation of Miracles after all. It involves a lot of psychological play. And the team isn't up there yet in terms of muscle work and stamina in order to be able to use it. You should have already had first hand experience of it." She studied Kagami. "Midorima-kun and Kise-kun are two of the more…_reasonable _ones of the group, and thus, they don't go too far in terms of psychological play. But even so, they still do." She glanced at Kagami who had a look of realisation on his face. "You remember, don't you?"

Kagami nodded slowly. So that explains it…

When he had first faced Kise that time, his copycat ability did dealt him the rudest shock of his life – seeing the move that he had used being used in a matter of moments by the blonde, but with more power. Then Midorima and his three pointers… After that was Aomine. And even Tamaki… A lot of her plays rely on psychological attacks as well. Even her strategies tend to do that. The time with Touou was proof of that.

Now he can understand why the Generation of Miracles are called the strongest team. Not everyone can deal well with psychological attacks. Seirin for instance was stuck in a rut for nearly two weeks after their devastating loss to Touou after all.

"But summer vacation, huh?" Kagami mused. "Did the coach tell you anything about what she'd planned?"

"Well, only something about training camps. She had been asking me a lot more on training methods and formations though." Tamaki mused. "I gave her some ideas on how the Generation of Miracles had trained during our three years of middle school. And if you think that the coach's training methods are crazy, then you hadn't seen anything yet." She winced as she remembered the training methods of Kashitori and Satsuki combined during Teiko. First year had them thinking that both their coach and manager are out to kill them.

Kagami groaned, almost palming his face. _"Please _don't give her more weird ideas!" he groaned.

**XXXXXX**

Riko had a beam on her face, with flowers and clouds almost hovering around her head. The rest of the team looked at their coach warily. They know the drill by now. Whenever their coach had _that_ look on her face, nothing good ever happens.

The basketball team had just ended training for the day, and as per routine, the entire team was gathered for a quick debriefing session, with both their coach and captain standing in front of them, informing the team of their plans for summer vacation.

"This year, at the beginning and end of summer vacation, we'll be taking two trips, to the beach and to the mountains!"

The second years' faces drained of all colour immediately. It _never_ bodes good news whenever you put 'Riko' and 'training' in the same sentence.

"The qualifiers for the Winter Cup start right after vacation ends!" Hyuuga announced. "It's important we use this vacation as effectively as possible. Let's give it everything we got!"

Tamaki frowned to herself, her mind starting to wander off as Hyuuga announced the exact start of the Winter Cup qualifiers. _'After summer vacation, huh? That means the Inter High quarter finals will soon be taking place,'_ she thought, even as Riko excused herself from the gym to talk to the club advisors about their training camps. _'And if I'm not mistaken, if both Touou and Kaijo continue winning all their matches like they have been… It will only be a matter of time before they both meet.'_

"But training camps to the mountains and the beach?" Koganei whined. He turned towards Tamaki who is writing something down in the notebook that the entire team had seen her carrying around ever since Riko had succeeded in her endeavors to convince Tamaki to be the team manager. "Tamaki, is this your idea?"

Tamaki looked up from the notebook that she had been writing in, closing it with a light snap. The basketball team had been trying to peek into the contents of the notebook ever since Tamaki had taken to carrying it around with her. And then again, they aren't sure if they even wanted to know what the teal haired girl had written in there.

"Well, I might have mentioned something along the lines of the mountains and the beach being good training places to train on stamina and muscle power." Tamaki remarked. "During our Teiko days, we often held training camps at either mountains or beaches. Our coach nearly drowned us all during our first year when we had our first training camp at the beach."

"Drowned?" Tsuchida said carefully. Uh oh. That doesn't sound good.

"Well, he made us all go underwater for two minutes at least without air. His reasoning is that it would increase our stamina capacity. And our captain – whom the entire team thinks is missing a few screws, actually made us climb the mountain during a training camp that we held during the winter vacation of our first year." Tamaki answered, and the second years who are listening sighed in relief. That doesn't sound too bad. "…with our hands tied behind our backs."

The listening second years paled. If Riko decides to incorporate that 'training method' into _theirs…_ May God help them…

"I'm starting to think that there isn't a single _sane_ person amongst the Generation of Miracles!" Furihata who was listening groaned. "All your former teammates are just nuts, Tamaki!"

Kiyoshi laughed. "But doesn't it sound interesting though?" he beamed, causing his teammates to look at him oddly like he had a few screws loose. And then again, it might not be so far off from the truth.

"One more time, everyone! Gather around!" Hyuuga's booming voice that echoed around the gym caused them all to jump. The captain had a very serious look on his face that looked almost as if someone had died. Aoi sat by Hyuuga's feet, staring up at the Seirin captain with a curious look on his doggy face, wagging his tail. "We're currently facing grave danger. In order to make two trips this year, we chose cheap lodgings. We'll have to make our own food, which is where our problem lies." Hyuuga looked pale and maybe even a little sick. "Coach will be cooking for us."

Silence.

The silence was broken at last by Furihata. "What? Is that bad?" he asked carefully, since their captain looks ready to faint.

"Of course it's bad!" Hyuuga freaked out. "At the Touou game, you saw her honey soaked lemons!" The entire team turned green at the mere memory of Riko's 'honey soaked lemons'. Whoever heard of someone making honey soaked lemons without even cutting the lemons? "So…" He trailed off slowly.

"That's not cooking anymore." Kiyoshi remarked, looking a tad bit pale as well.

"You mean it's inedible?" The freshmen trio croaked.

"Why don't we just cook for ourselves?" Fukuda suggested weakly.

Hyuuga sighed. At this rate, before the training could kill them, the entire team will die of food poisoning at Riko's hands. "I wish we could, but…"

Izuki nodded. "Practice is so brutal, no one can move at night." The Point Guard answered, with the usually silent Mitobe shivering in fright next to him.

Koganei turned green. "Just thinking about it…"

The freshmen trio along with Kagami lost all colour. _'You mean we might die?'_

* * *

The next day can find the entire basketball club gathered in the empty Home Economics' room after school that day, all of them watching their coach cooking albeit nervously. Aoi who is seated next to Tamaki's foot was sniffing at the food aroma eagerly, his tongue hanging out.

The words 'Training Camp Menus Tasting' was written across the board behind the basketball coach, with Riko having on a dark orange apron over her uniform, cutting the ingredients in front of her.

"A tasting?" Furihata whispered to Hyuuga incredulously.

"We can't just tell her to practice because she sucks." Hyuuga sighed. He has no wish to die by having his training menu tripled, thank you very much!

"By the way, can you guys cook?" Kawahara asked curiously.

"A little." Izuki answered.

"Pretty much anything." Koganei answered cheerfully.

"Mitobe's probably the best." Izuki answered, since the silent Center had been like the unofficial cook for the Seirin team. Mitobe had even saved the team from possible food poisoning during the Touou match when he had brought out the honey soaked lemons that he had prepared. "What about you, Tamaki? Can you cook?"

Tamaki stared at Izuki. "Of course I could," she said bluntly, almost like it's common knowledge.

Izuki suddenly remembered that Tamaki's aunt runs a _restaurant,_ and that the teal haired girl helps out there from time to time from a young age. Of course she can cook! And not to mention that she lives by herself! The teal haired girl would probably have starved to death by now if she didn't know how to cook."

"Right. Sorry. Stupid question." Izuki muttered.

"Oh right." Kagami remarked absently. "I almost forget that you're a girl sometimes."

"_What?"_

The rest of the team winced and sucked in their breaths. Even if Tamaki is their teammate and had often saved their asses on the court, that is not something that should ever come out of a guy's mouth, especially when the girl in mention is strong enough to _launch passes across the court._

Thankfully, Riko interrupted them just then with flushed cheeks and a beaming smile on her face. "It's ready!" she announced. "Curry!"

As one, the entire team looked down at the…substance on their plates that is just rice piled on their plates, along with _uncut ingredients_ lying on it. Just looking at it is enough to make anyone sick.

Kagami on the other hand was staring at his 'food' incredulously. _'This is…supposed to be curry?'_ he thought in disbelief. _'The ingredients aren't even cut! And what was that taping sound from earlier?'_

"Just ignore what it looks like." Riko told them almost too happily. "It should taste fine. It's just curry anyway."

"Well then…" Hyuuga said nervously as he picked up his spoon. "Thanks for the food."

As one, the entire team placed the spoons into their mouths, and their faces turned almost green upon tasting the curry that their coach had made. They felt like they're eating something raw instead of something that is _supposed_ to be cooked! And considering the fact that there are vegetables and _meat_ involved in the 'curry', well…

Riko looked at the basketball team's faces as they tried to swallow the curry that she'd made, and she had a small sad smile on her face. Riko didn't delude herself in her cooking. She knew that it's _horrible,_ compared to the cooking that her dad made, or even the cooking that Mitobe had brought sometimes from home to share with the team.

"It wasn't very good, was it?" Riko said at last, hiding her hands behind her back that had plasters all over – covering the cuts that she'd gotten when trying to cook for the team.

Hyuuga watched the dejected form of their coach with surprise, before he turned his attention back to the food on his plate. He gulped nervously before picking up the spoon once more and started shoving the food into his mouth like a starving man that hadn't eaten for days, much to Izuki's shock.

"Thanks for the food," said Hyuuga, pushing his seat away from the table and getting up, much to Riko's surprise, as the Seirin captain had finished every scrap of food on the plate. "It tasted good, but it was a little spicy. I'm going to get something to drink." The Seirin captain then left the Home Economics classroom, with Riko watching Hyuuga with surprise, a little touched that the captain would willingly gobble down her food so as to not hurt her feelings.

"It had a unique flavor, but it was pretty good." Kiyoshi remarked, and Riko turned only to see Kiyoshi standing at the pot of curry, stirring it with the ladle. "It had the most important ingredient. It had love. But you may have gone wrong somewhere with your cooking." Kiyoshi smiled at her. "Why don't you try making it again?"

Riko smiled and nodded.

Izuki got up and left the Home Economics room as the rest of the team was staring at Kiyoshi with admiration, with the Point Guard being a tad bit concerned about the Seirin captain. "Hyuuga?" he called out, only to blanch as he saw the Seirin captain lying face down in the middle of the hallway. Was that a soul that he saw coming out of Hyuuga's mouth? "Hyuuga!"

The moment Riko's back was turned, Kiyoshi immediately used the table as support to keep standing, sweat running down his face, with a look on his face that seemed as if Kiyoshi was about to throw up at any moment now. "Can anyone teach Riko how to make it?" He almost pleaded.

"Kiyoshi, you're dripping some sort of weird sweat!" Koganei pointed out. "Mitobe then—" The cat-like teen was taken aback as Mitobe who is next to him seemed to have turned into some sort of statue. "He's gone!"

"So who's going to teach her? Me or Izuki?" Tsuchida asked nervously. He wasn't confident enough in his cooking skills to teach their coach cooking. He'll be lucky if he didn't fail his Home Economics class.

The sound of the stove being turned on attracted the entire team's attention just then. They then turned only to see their two freshmen starters standing at the stove, with Kagami cutting the ingredients with an incredible speed, and Tamaki was stir frying the food with such ease that leads the team to believe that she must have done it every single day of her life or something.

Koganei practically had stars in his eyes as Kagami placed the plate of food down on the table that both looks and smells good.

"That looks delicious!" Furihata said.

"Give me a taste!" Koganei said happily, with a pair of chopsticks in his hand. The cat-like teen placed the food in his mouth, and stars almost appeared in his eyes. "It's so good!"

"Well, we guessed as much from Tamaki, but Kagami, how?" Kawahara asked, turning towards the redhead.

"Well, I live by myself." Kagami stated matter-of-factly, much to the team's surprise. Does living by oneself makes one good at cooking or something?

From a corner of the Home Economics' classroom, Riko watched as the rest of the team 'awwed' and 'ahhed' over the food that their two juniors have made. Come to think of it, why didn't she ask them in the first place anyway? Steeling her resolve, the coach then walked over to the group currently huddled around the table.

"Kagami-kun! Tamaki-chan!" Both freshmen looked up curiously – with Kagami currently gobbling down a mountain of rice, much to Tamaki's amusement who is watching her partner eat. "Teach me how to make curry!"

"Well, I have no problems with it, but…" Tamaki trailed off, looking at Kagami.

"I'm a strict teacher." Kagami piped up.

One hour later, the entire team was staring at the plate of curry that Riko had made, with the guidance of Tamaki and Kagami. For once, it looks…normal, and even good.

"It looks good!" Izuki said in surprise.

"It's curry! It's perfect!" Koganei cheered.

"Thanks for the food!" The team cheered as they took a spoonful of the curry and placed it into their mouths. Their faces then turned green.

Riko looked on in shock. "You're kidding! Why?"

'_We don't know why either.'_ Koganei is on the verge of tears.

'_The only thing we can say is… It's as disgusting as ever!'_

"Kagami! Tamaki! Didn't you both make it with her?" Koganei asked, turning to Kagami who looked confused. Tamaki is nowhere to be seen which is nothing new for her.

"I did. I even tasted it." Kagami answered.

"Coach's inability to cook is beyond human understanding." Kawahara whined.

"But it's almost amazing."

Meanwhile at another table, Tamaki was scooping a spoonful of the curry into her mouth. "It's good," she remarked, not understanding just what her teammates were complaining about.

Izuki suddenly grew concerned. All the second years have suffered from a case of food poisoning back in first year once, and he sure doesn't want their freshmen to suffer from the same fate too. The entire team was actually hospitalized for a few days because of that.

"Tamaki, that's enough. Don't do anything crazy!" said Izuki.

"No, it really is good," said Tamaki, not understanding just what Izuki is worried about.

Kiyoshi stared at the teal haired girl for several moments. "Tamaki, did you serve yourself?" he asked at last.

"Yes, they forgot about me, so…" Tamaki trailed off, and the entire team blushed.

It is already bad enough that Tamaki tend to slip in and out of their senses, but to forget to give her a food serving atop of it… Hyuuga made a mental note to pay extra attention at meal times during their training camps. It wouldn't do to have Tamaki faint because of hunger.

"Riko, could you plate another serving?" Kiyoshi asked. He had a feeling that he knew just why the food that they'd gotten tasted so bad…

The team soon realised just why the food that they'd gotten tasted so bad, as compared to the one that Tamaki had gotten for herself. Apparently, their coach had added some 'extra ingredients' to the rice – protein and vitamin C powder.

Looks like their coach still had a long way to go…

**XXXXXX**

The first day of summer vacation dawned bright and clear, and with it, the start of the Seirin basketball team's summer training camp. The entire team was gathered at the meeting point bright and clear, all with their bags and training gear, with Tamaki bringing Aoi with her, much to Kagami's chagrin. Their coach on the other hand, was dropped off by her scary-looking father who looked more like a yakuza member than a gym trainer.

"So… What are those?" Izuki asked, looking at the basketball goal posts sitting innocently on the beach.

Riko grinned. "My dad brought them here for me," she told the team. "We're going to play basketball on the beach!" She walked onto the sand, leaving footprints behind where she'd walked. "Imagine the team's power as an equation. If the individuals' numbers are low, we'll never make a big number. What Seirin needs now is to improve the skills of each individual player. But don't get the wrong idea. We're not creating a team of individual strengths—" Tamaki looked at Riko at this. "—but increasing each one of the powers we combine as a team. Seirin wins as a team. Shooting, passing, dribbling… In order to improve all of your actions, we have to start with the foundation of your legs and hips. That's why we're practicing on the beach."

Kagami tested the sand beneath his foot. "This is going to make us twice as tired," he remarked.

Tamaki sighed silently from behind him. He hasn't seen anything yet. Riko's training thus far couldn't even be compared with the Spartan training that Akashi and Kashitori puts them through on a daily basis back in Teiko. It is a wonder that they were able to survive the training at all. Kise often fell asleep in his dinner back during the first training camp that he had attended with them during second year. The training menu for the regulars is harsher, as compared to the ones that the non-regulars have after all.

"We'll start by doing three times the normal practice." Riko told the team before stripping off her uniform, leaving her in a sleeveless black halter neck sports top. "Let's get this training camp from hell started!"

She blew on her whistle sharply.

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki could barely keep her eyes open that night the moment the team had retired back to the inn where they've been staying in during the duration of their training camp. She is plain exhausted. The normal training on a daily basis is already enough to wear her out that she can usually pass out in the middle of it. But the training at the camp is three times their usual training. It is already a wonder in itself that she didn't pass out before this.

In order to reduce costs, the second years are all sharing a room together, with the freshmen having another room to themselves. Riko and Tamaki, being the only girls there has a room to themselves.

"So what do you think about today's training?" Riko asked Tamaki, laying out the futons for both herself and the smaller girl.

The brunette coach had already seen just how tired that the smaller girl is, especially after she had came back from the baths, and had taken it upon herself to prepare the futon for the teal haired girl. Otherwise, Tamaki might just fall asleep then and there. In fact, Riko is surprised that Tamaki still took it upon herself to make notes on the team's training. If it wasn't for the fact that she's a player – and Seirin's trump card in fact, Riko might have believed that she will make a better manager. With her observational skills and tactical skills, she might just be better at spinning out strategies than Touou's Momoi.

"I think that you did a pretty good job," said Tamaki, giving Riko a small smile. "You're almost as good as any professional coach out there. Besides, the beach training that you put us through today is similar to what I'd gone through back in freshman year." Riko blinked. So that explains why Tamaki could still manage to stay awake. "It improves the movements and muscle strength. But you might want to have the team train in water." She glanced at Riko who had a maniac grin on her face. "Have them try to run in water. It'll improve their movements." She suggested. "And you might want to try what our old coach at Teiko did to us. Make them go underwater for two minutes at least. It'll increase their stamina capacity. When our old coach did it to us though, all of us nearly drowned the first few times." Tamaki winced at the mere memory of it. Akashi had panicked when she had almost drowned back then.

"If I don't know any better, I'll think that you're more suited to be a manager, instead of a player," said Riko with a grin. "I guess I can see why you're the Generation of Miracles' trump card."

Tamaki was silent. "I guess so," she said. "I'm turning in. Goodnight."

**XXXXXX**

Kiyoshi was sighing in relief as he sat in the automatic massage chair in the hallway of the inn, easing his tired body from that day's harsh training. He had never felt so tired in his life, but Kiyoshi was happy for it, as it meant he could get back into form sooner. And from the evening training, Kiyoshi is happy to see that Seirin did indeed grow stronger, particularly with their two freshmen starters.

'_But still, a training like that… Only Riko would think of something like that. And if Tamaki is involved in the planning process for the training camps too, I'm not surprised.'_ Kiyoshi thought to himself with a smile. He groaned in relief as the massage chair did their work on his sore muscles. "I feel rejuvenated."

"You sound like an old man." Riko stated, walking past him with her towel and toiletries in hand, heading towards the bath.

"Riko, have you seen Hyuuga?"

"He just went outside with a ball." Riko answered, having seen the Seirin captain leaving the inn with a basketball under one arm when she is leaving the room that she shared with Tamaki. As always, the Seirin captain is such a workaholic. He is probably the only one in the entire team apart from Kagami and Tamaki who still trains outside of her training menu.

"Really? He's unbelievable like that."

Riko was silent for several moments. "What do you think of this training camp?" she asked at last.

"What do I think? Are you not satisfied with something?" Kiyoshi questioned, slumping within the massage chair.

"No, but…" Riko trailed off. "I asked Tamaki-chan about it earlier, and she said that I'm doing a pretty good job. But I think that she's just saying that to make me feel better."

"In all your time of knowing Tamaki, do you think that she's the type to mince her words?" Kiyoshi asked with a smile, knowing just how the teal haired girl is like since his time in middle school. Riko blinked. "She is the type to just speak what's on her mind. Besides, I think that you're doing the right thing. This practice will improve everyone's fundamentals. If there's a problem, it'll be with the players. If there's something we need to improve the team even more, it's for each player to understand their role. You could call it establishing a style. When you're trying to learn a new technique, first you have to understand yourself." Riko looked at Kiyoshi in surprise. "Tamaki… From what I can see, she's a good training manager – and as she's one of the Generation of Miracles, I'm not surprised. But as she's the type to 'sacrifice oneself for the team', she can't understand herself or even the type of basketball that she's playing yet. And the other players too."

Riko frowned. "I hate how you act like you know everything," she grumbled.

"What?" Kiyoshi looked surprised.

Riko sighed. "Seriously, why didn't you become the captain?" she asked the brunette. It had been a question that had been plaguing her mind ever since the basketball team's formation last year, and Kiyoshi had gone as far as to drag the newly formed team to the rooftop to shout their dreams and aspirations during assembly time in order to convince her to become their coach. "I don't have any complaints about Hyuuga-kun, but you're suited to this job too."

Kiyoshi smiled. "Hyuuga's a better fit," he insisted. "You push them, and Hyuuga pulls them. That's the best way. It's why I asked him to do it."

Riko sighed. "Anyway, you're saying that we can't keep going at this rate, right?" she questioned.

"If only we had some sort of spark…" Kiyoshi pondered.

'_A spark…'_

* * *

Riko headed back to the room that she shared with Tamaki after her bath, toweling her hair dry with the towel around her shoulders. The teal haired girl is already in her futon fast asleep, tired out from the day's training.

The brunette smiled as she saw Tamaki asleep. The small girl is always the one most easily worn out from the training, seeing as how she's the smallest and also the weakest in terms of stamina out of the entire team. And yet, her resolve and will is stronger than anyone else.

Riko then blinked as she noted several pieces of paper lying on the table, being weighed down by the cigarette ashtray that could be found in every inn room. The only light currently visible in the room is the table lamp that Riko had left on before she'd left earlier so that she wouldn't rouse Tamaki from her sleep.

Frowning, the brunette picked up the pieces of paper on the table, and saw that the words scrawled on it is in Tamaki's neat handwriting. Her eyebrows then almost disappeared into her hairline as she noticed that Tamaki had made several notes and observations of each player's strengths and weaknesses, and also the areas in which they must improve in, and also how to overcome their own weaknesses. And it's not just the regulars either.

Suggestions for training methods were also scrawled on the paper, with several diagrams on basketball formations, and the suggested players that can best utilize the formation. There were even drawn diagrams and suggestions on unconventional training methods of the likes that Riko had never even seen or even thought about it, but could see that it might just prove to be extremely effective.

Riko smiled as she looked at the slumbering form of the teal haired girl. _'She really is a member of that legendary team. Thanks for your hard work, Tamaki-chan.'_

* * *

_A/N: Right, this chapter is shorter than normal, and sorry for the later than usual update. Updates for Princess of Miracles or even for any of my other stories will be later than normal because of college life. Assignments are slowly piling up, and I'm surprised that I even got the time to update at all!_

_And I got a question for readers and followers of Shattered Soul. I'm seriously considering scrapping the story idea completely for that one, as I've gotten quite a number of flames ever since posting that. So I'm just going to ask if that story idea is so undesirable to you, and if it's something that you like reading._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_

_**Upcoming Stories**_

_Alternative Eclipse (Kuroko no Basuke)_

_Set in Princess of Miracles' universe. What if Aomine had never joined Touou at all, and instead attended Seirin alongside Tamaki? Can Seirin help to bring back Aomine's love for basketball, and more importantly, can Aomine regain his friendship with Tamaki once more? Fem!Kuroko/Aomine_


	20. For the Team

_About Tamaki:_ I've been getting quite a few complaints that I've overpowered Tamaki a little _too_ much. Right, my apologies for that. I didn't even realise that. Seems like I got a little too overexcited when writing this story, with the release of each new episode on the day when I start writing. And is there anyone else here who _don't want_ the anime to end? I heard that it's going to end at 25 episodes. Hope that it doesn't just stop there though. Look at Prince of Tennis for instance. It spans over 100 episodes, and they even came up with a new season for it.

_Alternative Eclipse: _Forlorn Story Teller got into contact with me and suggested I change the story title since our stories tends to have very similar plots, and one of his/her stories already had the word 'Eclipse' in it. Any suggestions, people? Anyway, about this plot, yes, Satsuki and Aomine will both be going to Seirin with Tamaki. Anyone looking forward to a complicated love triangle?

_Shattered Soul:_ It's not really something that I should be mentioning in this story, but thank you for all your support, and whoever had reviewed or put that new rewritten story of Shattered Soul on alert. I'm not overly comfortable with writing rape in the first place, thus, I changed the plot to assault instead. And yeah, there are some hints of a Kagami bashing in the first chapter, isn't it? And you know how the GoM are. As long as you are together with Tamaki, if something happens to her, it's your fault.

_Tamaki and Aomine:_ Yes, they will find out pretty soon. I'm making it the hot springs' scene. Look forward to it, since it'll be after the Kaijo versus Touou match.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Nineteen: For the Team**

"_What is important is not thinking about **how** you can win, but **what** you can do for the team." - Kuroko Tamaki_

**XXXXXX**

Kagami was moaning in pain the next morning as he got up and headed to the sinks in the hallway of the inn's washrooms for his usual morning routine. Every muscle in his body is groaning in protest even as he did something as simple as stretching.

'_It hurts.'_ Kagami whined even as he brushed his teeth properly. _'My body hurts all over. And to think we have another day of insane training lined up in front of us. And I don't even want to know what the coach had in mind.' _He groaned to himself.

The redhead then turned on the tap before rinsing his mouth of toothpaste, only to almost swallow the toothpaste when he noticed a certain teal haired girl standing next to him, also rinsing her mouth of toothpaste.

"Are you doing this on purpose?" Kagami demanded after having emptied his mouth of toothpaste, and turning to glare at the small girl. "And your hair!"

Tamaki's hair is a little 'all over the place', even sticking out at ends awkwardly. It kind of makes her look a little comical. The teal haired girl frowned slightly before trying to straighten it out. "It always ends up like that the moment I wake up," she stated.

"This place is a dump." A rather familiar voice complained. "Are we really staying here?" Takao Kazunari then walked past the two Seirin players, currently dressed in his Shutoku jersey, with Midorima just behind him. "I feel like I'm going to see a ghost." He whined.

"Shut up, Takao." Midorima scoffed.

The two Shutoku players were nearly outside the washroom when they noticed the Seirin players staring at them. Takao's eyes went wide. "What?"

Midorima looked as if he had just swallowed a lemon. An _extremely_ sour lemon. And the look on Kagami's face isn't any better. Tamaki was as cool as ever and even bowed slightly to the two politely.

"Hello. It's good to see you again."

"What are _you_ doing here?" Midorima demanded, pointing one finger at Kagami.

"I could ask _you_ the same thing!" Kagami retorted.

"Shutoku has a long tradition of coming here to train together." Takao explained.

"And here you are enjoying your vacation!" Midorima growled at Kagami. "What's with the tan?"

As a result of having trained the entire afternoon under the blistering hot sun out on the beach the previous afternoon, Kagami had become even tanner than before. In fact, nearly the entire team had some kind of tan. The only exception is Tamaki who still looks as pale as before.

"We're not on vacation!" Kagami snapped.

Midorima looked confused. "What?"

"Hey!" Riko appeared at the doorway just then, dressed in a yellow blouse and light green shorts with a dark orange apron over it. And she is also covered in something that seems suspiciously like _blood,_ with a 'blood stained' knife in her right hand. "We're all waiting for you in the cafeteria."

The four teenagers paled instantly. _'Is she planning to cook us for breakfast?'_ Takao paled. And here he thought that Nakatani's training regime is tough! He'll take Shutoku's coach over Seirin's any day, thank you! _'Is that blood or something?'_

'_And here I thought that Akashi is insane.'_ Midorima sweat dropped, staring at the knife in Riko's hand warily.

The green haired shooter is starting to think that Akashi might just have a valid reason in wanting to take Tamaki away from Seirin. Seriously, how safe _or_ sane can Seirin be with a coach that wields around a knife like that? On second thought however, their days in Teiko isn't any better with a _captain_ that _flings_ scissors at his teammates.

"_What is your school, Tamaki?" _Midorima almost screeched, his voice going two octaves higher than normal.

"It's Seirin High School," was Tamaki's statement of the year answer.

"That's not what I meant!"

**XXXXXX**

'_How in the world did this happen?' _Tamaki was sighing as she along with the rest of her team stared at the Shutoku team nervously in the basketball court, with Seirin wearing dark blue vests over their training attires. Shutoku on the other hand were all staring back at Seirin with equally deadpanned expressions on their faces. Midorima however looked as if he'd just swallowed a lemon whilst Takao looked no better.

Seirin was originally supposed to have training on the beach again that morning after breakfast, but with Shutoku's sudden appearance at the inn where they were staying, there seems to be a change in plans. Tamaki had guessed as much from the maniac grin on Riko's face after the brunette coach had returned from a brief 'talk' with Shutoku's coach.

And everyone on Seirin knew by now that whenever Riko had _that_ look on her face, it never bodes good news.

"Starting today, instead of holding our scheduled water training at the beach, we're going to be practicing with Shutoku High!"

As both teams started making their way to take positions on the court, Riko called out to her two freshmen starters. "Kagami-kun. Tamaki-chan. Hold on." Both turned towards their coach. "Tamaki-chan, you're not playing. Instead… Here." Tamaki blinked as a clipboard and pen was thrust into her hands. "You know what to do." Riko grinned at Tamaki. "Besides, I don't want you to overtax that wrist of yours. You've just recovered from a wrist injury after all."

After all, it is during a match with _Shutoku_ that had gotten Tamaki's right wrist injured, and putting her out of commission for well over a month.

"And Kagami-kun." Riko turned towards the redhead. "Go buy drinks for everyone."

Kagami looked confused. "What?"

Riko had an all too sweet smile on her face. "Run on the beach to the convenience store 500 meters away!" she chirped, much to Kagami's dismay. "They'll probably be heavy, so you can bring them one at a time." She 'suggested'.

Kagami looked as if someone had just told him basketball was banned. "One at a time?" he croaked.

"Everyone's practicing, so hurry!"

"_How many laps is that?"_ Kagami howled.

* * *

Tamaki watched with a critical eye as the practice match between Seirin and Shutoku commences. During their last match against one of the three 'Kings', she had only been on the bench during two quarters, and even so, she was mostly resting, thus, she hadn't really had a chance to watch them from the sidelines.

'_They're strong. And they're even stronger than before.'_ The teal haired girl thought, scribbling something in her clipboard. _'As expected from one of the three 'Kings' of Tokyo. And Midorima-kun seems to have improved too.'_ She glanced at her old teammate.

The Seirin players currently on the court were panting, with sweat pouring down their faces. Izuki was partially out of breath, and Mitobe is panting next to him as well. "It really is amazing." Izuki admitted. "Everyone's movements have improved."

"Well, Seirin seems to be putting up a good fight." Takao commented, falling into step next to Midorima. "But what are they thinking by taking Tamaki and Kagami out of the game? They could barely manage a win against us even with both of them playing the last time."

"Well, I have an idea why their coach took Kagami out, but as for Tamaki…" Midorima trailed off as his eyes flickered towards the small teal haired girl currently leaning against the wall in a corner, her eyes studying the practice match carefully. _'It's that look again. She's back. The vice captain of the Generation of Miracles!'_ "Maybe because she's dangerous even when off court." He remarked much to Takao's confusion.

* * *

"Kagami's running outside." Otsubo told Nakatani, both of them standing by the sidelines. "Are they hiding something?"

"No." Nakatani said. "Kagami's strength is his jumps that increase in height with every one he does. Even during a game." He recalled the jumps that the redhead had performed during the Seirin versus Shutoku match. "They're powered not by spirit or will, but something physical. She must have realised what it is, and is now training it." He glanced at Riko who is standing next to Tamaki. "You won't believe that she's only seventeen just by looking at her. She's an impressive coach. And that Kuroko girl…" His eyes flickered towards the teal haired girl standing next to Riko. "Something tells me that they're hiding something. And on top of that…"

Both the captain and coach turned their attention back towards the court where Kiyoshi Teppei is.

"Kiyoshi Teppei…" Otsubo mused. "A frightening opponent has returned."

**XXXXXX**

The next two days of the sudden joint training camp that Shutoku and Seirin had together had both teams falling into a routine. After breakfast had both teams having practice matches together. After lunch, Seirin will then return to their training regime out on the beach, whilst Shutoku will proceed with their own.

And for some reason, Kagami had been missing all of the practice matches that Seirin had with Shutoku for the past two days. Well, Tamaki hadn't been playing either, as she had been playing 'manager' during those matches – something that made Midorima uneasy.

The green haired shooter had been part of the Generation of Miracles alongside Tamaki after all. Like the rest of the team, he knew just what Tamaki could do. Her play style – both before and after her injury relays a lot on observation. Like Akashi, Tamaki seems to be able to read a person in ways that most people couldn't. There are times when Midorima had wondered if both Akashi and Tamaki are really 'normal'.

"Game over! 82 to 91, Shutoku!"

Both teams were exhausted as they walked off the courts after yet another practice match with each other. Nakatani was watching the Seirin team thoughtfully. "We won three out of three practice games at this camp," he mused thoughtfully. "Hmm…"

"Maybe they just got lucky at the preliminaries." Takao joked, his hands behind his head.

Midorima was standing next to him, and he doesn't look happy at Takao's comment. The green haired shooter was actually a little concerned. Having a practice match with Seirin when Tamaki is 'playing manager' actually means revealing more than just their skills to the teal haired girl who probably already knew it, since she had already played against them once. Tamaki can collect data on a team easier when she is actually playing against them rather than just watching.

Much like Momoi, Tamaki had the ability to analyze and break down an opponent's growth and habits and deduce any future growth from that. Momoi Satsuki is Tamaki's best friend after all. The pink haired girl had been the one to teach Tamaki about 'future sight'.

In other words, if Shutoku ever winds up facing Seirin in a tournament match ever again, it won't be an easy battle.

"I don't like to think that we lost because of luck." Nakatani stated, not happy with Takao's comment either. "Takao, go run." He ordered, much to the freshman's dismay. "You guys who played should know better than anyone. They were stronger this time than they were when we lost at the preliminaries. On top of that, they're that strong without Kagami. At this rate, we'll have to be careful this winter."

**XXXXXX**

"What's with that? Being on the sidelines for all three games." Midorima questioned Tamaki that night as the two former teammates lounged about in the lounge area. Dinner isn't for another hour, and nighttime is free time for the two teams that are usually used for resting. For the basketball maniacs like Kagami and sometimes even Hyuuga, it is used for extra training. "You're planning something. Or rather, that coach of yours is."

"Well, it's nothing much actually." Tamaki told Midorima. "It's just… I realised my limits, and I'm trying to overcome it." She stared at her right hand. "How can I become stronger with my current limits…? That's something that I'm still trying to figure out on my own."

Midorima said nothing for several moments. "You can't grow stronger on your own when you're playing a type of 'cooperation basketball'," he said at last. "I thought that you should realise that by now. Your style isn't a single style like most players – you grow stronger or weaker by depending on another person. You're a support player. And you know that."

"I know that. That's why… I'm thinking of bringing back my old style." Tamaki sighed. She looked at Midorima. "And I might have an idea about that too." She said mysteriously.

Midorima studied Tamaki for several moments. "Did you see something good?" he asked at last, unsure if he even wanted to know the answer to that question.

Tamaki smiled a small smile at him. "…I wonder," she said mysteriously. "But more importantly… Midorima-kun, can you hear me out for a moment? I need a favor."

**XXXXXX**

In the public parking lot not far away from the inn where both Shutoku and Seirin are both staying in, Kagami was out practicing by himself with a basketball hoop that he'd dragged by himself out here.

The redhead had been rather annoyed for the past two days when he did nothing but just run. Whenever he returned to the gym after running 'errands' for his coach, it is to find that the practice match is already over. Kagami has _no_ idea just why Riko didn't want him in the practice games so badly, but whatever the reason is, the redhead trusted that the coach had something in mind.

Tamaki seemed to know something as well, since the day before, she had simply given him a list of training regimes that also includes eating certain foods for his meals. Kagami seriously has no idea just what eating an entire bowl of oats and buckwheat can do for him, but whatever the reason is, he isn't about to go against his teammate. Thankfully, Kagami can cook for himself, and he doesn't have to eat his coach's cooking.

And the redhead can already see a vast improvement in his movements with this training camp, along with the rest of his teammates. At least running for five hours through the harsh current of the sea is worth it, though his muscles had said otherwise the next morning. Little wonder why Seirin had lost to Shutoku then, since all of them are in tremendous pain.

Riko had tried to ease their pain by whipping out bucketfuls of ice and getting the team to sit in it for two hours, stating that it will ease their muscle aches. The redhead only felt _numb _afterwards, and couldn't even feel his toes.

And seriously, Kagami realised that Tamaki definitely wasn't joking when she said that the training regime at Teiko is more like Spartan training. The teal haired girl had watered down the training regimes that she had suggested to Riko, taking into account the fact that Seirin had never faced this form of hellish training before, and didn't have the stamina and endurance to deal with it.

It makes the redhead wonder for a moment just what kind of hell did Tamaki go through for three years at Teiko. And despite her petite and frail looks, the teal haired girl must be very strong to be able to handle everything that Teiko's coach had thrown at her and the other members of the Generation of Miracles. No wonder they're called a 'monster team'.

"You're working hard." Riko commented suddenly from behind Kagami, and the redhead gave a start, pausing in his shooting position.

"Not really." Kagami mumbled. "I was just putting the ball away, so I thought I'd practice a little first. Actually…" He twitched as he turned towards his coach, ominous aura literally oozing from him. "I've just been running on the beach by myself during this whole trip."

"What? Really?" Riko mused innocently.

"And the game's always over by the time I get back!" Kagami complained. "Why did I even come here?"

Riko sighed at the obliviousness of the redhead. His nickname 'Bakagami' is really not just for show. And here she thought that even Kagami might have noticed it by now. "What? You still haven't noticed? And I thought that I'd given you enough clues by now." Riko sighed. "Tamaki-chan gave you a list, didn't she? Detailing everything from what kind of training you are to go through, even right down to the types of food that you are to consume from now on."

"Y-Yeah." Kagami nodded. At least Tamaki didn't restrict him from eating burgers. Though that could be because Tamaki knew him a little too well, and knew that he wouldn't stop eating it anyway.

"I told her to do that for you." Riko told Kagami, much to his confusion. "The foods that she'd suggested for your consumption, and even the additional training regimes that she'd suggested are to help you improve your stamina and endurance." She told a surprised Kagami.

"Stamina and endurance?" Kagami echoed. "Why? My stamina has no problem whatsoever. If anything, it's Tamaki who needs stamina training."

"And you know that no matter what we'd done, Tamaki-chan's stamina had never been able to improve in the least." Riko sighed.

That is true in a way. Riko had suspected that it might have something to do with Tamaki's small built as well. No matter what the teal haired girl had done, her stamina had never been able to improve.

"I want you to focus on your stamina and endurance for a reason. It's because of your jumps." Riko told Kagami who only got more confused. "Well, I guess telling you won't be enough. Try jumping."

* * *

In the small parlor just off the room that the Seirin players have, both Kiyoshi and Hyuuga were having a small discussion amongst themselves over cups of green tea, with both of them relaxing after a hard day of training.

"By the way, what do you think Kagami and Tamaki's trainings are?" Hyuuga asked Kiyoshi curiously. "Both Tamaki and Kagami haven't been getting involved in the practice matches against Shutoku, only the morning trainings. And while Tamaki is present on the sidelines, Kagami is always sent running on the beach during the practice matches. What do you think that their training regimes are?" He asked Kiyoshi who looked thoughtful. "I get that for Tamaki, it's probably to collect data or something, right? And for Kagami, it can't be just strength training."

"Well, for Tamaki…" Kiyoshi trailed off slowly. "I guess even Riko is at a loss to how to train her. You don't see many players like Tamaki after all. Riko's best bet to train Tamaki and to get her to improve vastly in time for the Winter Cup is to start from the basics first. In Tamaki's case, it's her observational and tactical skills. Of course, endurance and speed training is a great factor in her play style as well. And well, I guess it won't hurt if we get some extra data on Shutoku at the same time." Kiyoshi smiled a little too happily. "Right now, the best teacher for Tamaki is herself. She knows her own weaknesses and strengths, and only she herself can teach her what she needs. As for Kagami…" He trailed off slowly. "Well, I guess strength training is all that he's doing right now, but it's also probably to draw out his true power." He took a sip from his cup.

"His true power?" Hyuuga echoed.

* * *

Takao hummed to himself as he took the path back to the inn after having made a trip to the nearby convenience store for some snacks and drinks. A loud battle cry from the nearby parking lot caught his attention just then, and the teen turned only to see Kagami jumping nearly to the height of the goal of the basketball hoop itself.

"Whoa!" He almost squealed.

Takao ducked down behind the bushes, and peered over it only to see Kagami and Riko standing on the parking lot near the basketball hoop, both having a conversation of some sort. Riko looked serious, and Kagami looked as if he is just starting to figure something out.

'_Seirin's lady coach and Kagami?'_ Takao wondered. _'What are they doing? Wait a minute…'_ He looked upwards at the basketball hoop above his head, remembering the height at which Kagami had jumped. And it is definitely way higher than what he'd remembered the redhead jumping during the Inter High match. _'He easily jumped higher than the hoop.'_ He gulped.

* * *

"You're tired, so that's all you can manage right now." Riko told Kagami. "Try jumping the other way now."

"Huh?" Kagami was confused. _'The other way?'_

* * *

'_The other way?'_ Takao wondered curiously, wondering just what Riko had in mind.

* * *

"Don't you think his jumps are a little erratic?" Kiyoshi asked Hyuuga.

The Seirin captain frowned. "Now that you mention it, I guess so," he mused, recalling all the super jumps that Kagami had performed so far in all their matches, with the ones that the redhead had performed during the Touou match standing out the most in his mind.

"Maybe it's because he's good at one handed dunks with his strong right arm, but he tends to jump off his left leg." Kiyoshi pointed out. Most basketball players who are right handers tend to jump off on the opposite limb. For example, if they are right handers, they jump off on their left legs and vice versa. "However, his highest jumps occur when he jumps off his right leg."

Hyuuga was taken aback. "What?"

* * *

Takao shifted, and a loose coin rolled out of his pocket, landing with a light tink on the ground. The dark haired teen turned and reached for his coin – an action that may just have saved his life.

"_You idiot, you hit it too hard!" _Riko screeched.

Takao turned around just in time only to see the basketball hoop tipping over and falling onto the bushes where Takao would have been a mere moment ago if he hadn't leapt out of the way in time.

'_What the hell?' _The Hawk Eye user almost screeched to himself.

* * *

"In other words, Kagami's strong leg is not his left, but his right." Kiyoshi concluded.

* * *

Kagami laid flat on his back in the middle of the parking lot, staring up at the night skies, with Riko studying him not too far away.

"Do you understand now?" Riko asked, staring down at the redhead. "Your greatest weapon is your jumping power, but you haven't drawn out your full strength. For now, work on preparing yourself physically. After that, it's up to you." She turned to leave, having said her piece. "Don't forget to stand the hoop back up." Riko reminded him before walking away, heading back towards the inn. "Maybe I gave him too many hints." She mused. "Well, he _is_ a moron."

Kagami stared up at the night skies from where he was, still with his legs over the bushes that he had fallen over when he had missed his balance whilst in midair earlier – and for a moment, he is surprised at just how high he could jump.

'_My jumping power…'_ Kagami mused to himself. _'And didn't Kise said something about that before? And so did Tamaki.'_

"_Kagami has a single unique talent that will enable him to reach the level of the Generation of Miracles. He has the ability to reach and open the 'door'. And his special talent is an innate jumping ability."_

'_A style that utilizes that strength…'_ Kagami raised his right hand above his face so that it is partially covering his view of the night sky. _'There's only one answer then! Aerial combat! That's the only place I stand a chance against the Generation of Miracles!'_

* * *

Behind the bushes, Takao is still trying to get his heart rate back to normal after having been nearly squashed by the basketball hoop. Tamaki who had came from the direction of the inn looked a little surprised to see Takao squatting behind the bushes, but nodded to him politely.

"Hello."

"Hey!" Takao grinned at the teal haired girl. "What are you doing?"

"It's almost time for dinner, so I came to get Kagami-kun." The teal haired girl told Takao. In fact, that is what Tamaki had been doing for the past two days, as Kagami could easily lose track of time when playing basketball. He is really a basketball idiot through and through. He kind of reminds Tamaki of a certain tanned player that she knew.

"It's that time already?" Takao wondered. "I guess I should—" His eyes widened slightly in surprise when he turned his attention towards the parking lot where Kagami is, and he immediately ducked behind the bushes, also dragging a surprised Tamaki with him. "Duck!"

* * *

The light squeaks of basketball shoes could be heard on the parking lot, and Kagami tilted his head backwards only to see a certain green haired teen standing behind him dressed in a plain white T-shirt and gray track pants, holding a canned drink in his left hand.

Red angry ticks immediately covered the heads of both teens.

Uh oh.

* * *

Behind the bushes, Takao was giggling hysterically to himself, one hand covering Tamaki's mouth, with the other around her shoulders, much to the teal haired girl's annoyance, though not that she actually showed it.

"Keep quiet. This looks like it's about to get interesting." Takao giggled.

"I haven't said anything." Tamaki managed to mumble through Takao's hand. "But more importantly, can you please remove your hand?" She asked politely.

"Huh?" Takao turned towards the teal haired girl before noticing the position that they are both in, along with the fact that he is actually _touching_ her. He immediately withdrew his hand, obviously remembering just what had happened during the Shutoku versus Seirin match during the Inter High. "S-Sorry." Takao apologized, scratching his cheek idly with one finger. "More importantly… Can you please not tell Shin-chan about this?"

* * *

There was a loud rattle as Kagami moved the basketball hoop so that it is standing upright once more. The redhead then turned to face Midorima.

"What do you want?" he scowled. For some reason, except for Tamaki, all the members of the Generation of Miracles that Kagami had met so far just rubs him up the wrong way, especially that Aomine.

"Nothing. I simply went to buy something to drink," said Midorima.

"A drink?" Kagami echoed, glancing at the canned drink in Midorima's hand. The words 'Red Bean Soup' stood out clearly on the pinkish-red can. "I'm surprised you can drink that during the summer." He commented.

"It's a cold one obviously, you fool." Midorima scoffed.

Behind the bushes, Takao snickered as Midorima's blunt words pissed Kagami off. He had been teammates with Midorima for long enough to know by now that Midorima had a way of getting on the wrong side of people with his tendency to speak bluntly and sarcastically. Let's just say that the Shutoku basketball team had an unforgettable first meeting with Midorima.

And naturally, Tamaki knew about this side of the green haired shooter as well, since Kise is a frequent victim of Midorima's sharp tongue back in Teiko.

"_That's not what I'm talking about!"_

Midorima huffed. "I have lost faith in you," he stated.

"Where did that come from?" Kagami demanded.

"Before losing to me, you were destroyed by Aomine." Midorima stated, and Kagami twitched, not liking to be reminded of Seirin's devastating loss to Touou. He had almost lost his partner that time too because of his stubbornness.

"I'll win next time!" Kagami declared. "It won't always be that way!"

Midorima said nothing for several moments as he turned his eyes upwards to look at the basketball hoop in front of him. He caught sight of a handprint near the hoop and scoffed, immediately putting two and two together.

After all, Aomine and Kagami are very similar in terms of personality and basketball styles. And Midorima had spent three years with that simple minded idiot in middle school after all. Three years is long enough for Midorima to know Aomine as well as the back of his hand. And if it is Aomine right now in Kagami's current position, Midorima knew what the tanned teen would be thinking.

"Don't tell me you believe you can beat him in the air." Midorima scoffed. _'Well, I can see why Tamaki is worried.' _"Is jumping all you think about, fool?" He walked towards the lone ball left on the ground. "Simply jumping higher will not change the results. That is only half the answer." Midorima placed his canned drink on the ground and picked up the basketball instead. "It is not yet a weapon." Kagami glared. "Come. I will correct your simplistic thinking."

* * *

'_Well, it is true that the fastest way to get the message across to Kagami-kun is to face him in an one-on-one match.'_ Tamaki mused. _'He has nothing but basketball on the brain after all. But…'_

Meanwhile, Takao is studying his teammate from where he is. _'He's not just picking a fight. Half the answer?'_ he wondered, pondering on the exact meaning of those words, and what Midorima had meant. Is there something that the Generation of Miracles' shooter had seen that Takao had missed? _'There's something beyond those ridiculous jumps of his?'_

* * *

Kagami caught the ball that Midorima tossed to him.

"We'll play ten tries." Midorima stated. "You're on offense, and I'm on defense. If you score even once, you win."

"What?" Kagami's fuse was lit once more. Is Midorima looking down on him? "I don't know what you're thinking, but you really believe you can stop me ten times in a row? If you're so sure you can stop me, let's see you do it!"

Midorima adjusted his glasses. "Don't worry, I will not lose. In today's horoscope, both my fortune and match up are better than yours."

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki felt like smacking herself in the head as she watched Kagami charge straight on against Midorima.

The green haired shooter is no Murasakibara, but his defense is in no way weak either. You don't become a regular on a legendary team like Teiko without being skilled in all aspects of basketball, and that includes defense too. Even Tamaki is trained that much before her injury.

And hadn't Kagami learned by now that charging straight on against a member of the Generation of Miracles _will not work? _They aren't called legends for nothing!

"How insulting. Do you really think that I do nothing but shoot threes?" Midorima scoffed.

Takao was watching in amazement. _'I know Midorima's defense is amazing, but…'_ He glanced at the number of crosses marked on the ground that marks Midorima's victory over Kagami. _'He can stop him this well? But how? There's hardly any difference in their movements. On the ground, they seem equally matched.'_

'_I know that I've thought about this before, but does Kagami-kun not know how to do anything __**but**__ dunk?' _Tamaki thought with exasperation as she watched Kagami tried and failed to do yet again another dunk before Midorima had smacked the ball out of the redhead's hands. _'His movements and thinking are too predictable. No matter how good you are or even how high you jump, you can't win as long as your opponent __**knows**__ what you're going to do. That is the most basic understanding in tactical play too.'_

"Damn. One more." Kagami growled, picking up the ball.

"I'm finished." Midorima stated. "No matter how many times we play, it will be the same." He stated bluntly, pissing Kagami off. The green haired shooter glared at the redhead before he could say anything. "Notice already, you fool." He said sharply. "No matter how high you jump, stopping you is easy because I _know_ you will dunk." He said, much to Kagami's shock.

The green haired shooter then walked away from Kagami, heading towards the direction of the bushes where Takao and Tamaki are both hiding behind, much to Takao's chagrin. "Let's go, Takao," he ordered.

"What? You knew?" Takao asked sheepishly.

Midorima glanced at Tamaki. "Is this enough?" he asked Tamaki, much to Takao's confusion.

The teal haired girl nodded. "Yeah. I think that he's gotten the message now. Thank you, Midorima-kun," she told her former teammate.

Midorima adjusted his glasses. "Just don't disappoint me at the Winter Cup preliminaries." He told her.

Tamaki smiled. "We won't."

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki was waiting at the entrance of the inn with a towel when Kagami returned from his run, drenched in sweat and looking absolutely furious with himself. "I thought that you'll need this," she told her confused teammate who took the towel from the small girl, and cleaned the sweat off his face.

"You were watching?" he asked, and Tamaki nodded. "You don't need to say anything. I understand why I lost. They were right when they called me a basketball idiot. I really can't do anything but dunk."

Tamaki looked at Kagami. "It is true that aerial combat is your forte. That's why the Coach asked me to draw up a training regime for you that will improve on that area," she explained. "But no matter how good you are, if your movements are too predictable, anyone can stop you. I think that Aomine-kun was able to stop you during the match is because _he knows how you think." 'Well, I guess my comments about both Kagami-kun and Daiki being rather similar doesn't help either.'_

Kagami was silent for a few moments. "What do you think I should do?" he asked at last.

"You're going to listen to me?" Tamaki asked. "That's a surprise. You never did before."

Kagami blushed, scratching at his cheek with one finger. "Well, you've never steered me wrong before," he mumbled. "Besides, you 'see' more than I do."

* * *

"How I stopped Kagami?" Midorima echoed Takao's words as the two teens sat in the lounge area of the inn. "You fool, I am simply stronger."

Takao almost sweat dropped. "That's not what I meant," he complained.

Midorima huffed. "I told you. I knew he would only dunk. With only one option, I merely have to time my jumps accordingly."

"Well, I understand your logic, but even he must be able to pull a double clutch." Takao pointed out.

* * *

"I can," said Kagami, with both freshmen recalling the challenge match that Kagami had with Kiyoshi back then. "But it's only when I jump with my left leg and hold the ball in my right hand. If I jump with my right leg, I'll generally hold the ball in my left hand. The truth is, all I can do with my left hand is dunk."

* * *

"In other words, compared to his right hand, his left handed ball handling is too clumsy." Midorima stated. "Simply jumping high doesn't make an aerial battle. The contest between two athletes' airborne options is the true battle."

"Did Tamaki ask you to challenge Kagami?" Takao asked, and Midorima glanced at him. "Your last words to her." He pointed out.

Midorima adjusted his glasses. "Well, in a way," he answered. "She's his partner after all. She knows what Kagami's weaknesses are. Like Aomine, he has a one track mind – he only knows how to dunk. But even Aomine has his own tricks – you saw as much during their match." Takao nodded. "The Generation of Miracles does not just rely on one skill. We always have other plans up our sleeves. One rule that we learned back in Teiko – always have a backup plan. And if Kagami can't do anything but dunk, he will never be able to beat Aomine or any other member of the Generation of Miracles. And his dunks won't work against me once we meet in the Winter Cup."

"Aerial combat, huh?" Takao mused. "It will be interesting to see if he can really make it into a weapon. And are you sure you should have helped our opponents that much?" He grinned.

"I will still win by winter. But it will be interesting to see just how much he can improve." Midorima stated. "And it's not just him either." He smiled.

* * *

"I told Kise-kun this once a long time ago." Tamaki told a confused Kagami. "What is important is not thinking about _how _you can win, but _what_ you can do for the team. I'm your shadow. Of course I will support you."

Kagami grinned. "Then I'm counting on you, partner!" he said. "And I know what I have to do by winter. Strengthen my legs and hips and improve my left-handed ball handling. But using my left hand when I'm right handed…" He frowned, staring at his left hand. "It's not going to be easy."

"Well, there is a way to get used to your left hand in a short time," said Tamaki. _'It's a method that I'd used after all.' _"And you've just given me an idea." She said, much to Kagami's confusion. The teal haired girl stared at her right hand. "An idea for a new drive."

"Well, I'm going to take a bath before they close it." Kagami said, walking towards the direction of the baths. "Turn in early, Tamaki."

"You too." Tamaki called to the redhead who only raised a fist without even turning around. The teal haired girl then pulled out her phone from her pocket, flipping it opened only to see the date and time being displayed on the screen. "It's tomorrow, huh? The quarter finals." She mused. _'Kaijo versus Touou Academy. It's a match between Kise-kun and Daiki. The first match this season when two starters of the Generation of Miracles face each other in a battle. This will be some match.'_

* * *

_A/N: Sorry for the late update! But as I've said before, school had started for me, and thus, updates will be slow from now on. I'll maybe be updating only once every two to three weeks. Sometimes even longer, depending on my workload. Year two at college is no joke, people! I'm literally drowning in assignments!_

_On a side note, I need a favor. Recently, The 17th Requiem had messaged me, alerting me to a story titled Love Triangle that seems to be pretty much a rip off from my Silent Light story. I've also read it, and I agree with what he/she had said. Now, I don't mind if someone's story is inspirited by one of mine. In the first place, both Princess of Miracles and Silent Light are inspirited by someone else's story. But I draw a line when their 'stories' are basically rip offs from my own! _

_I mean, how would you feel if someone butchered your work? It's not a nice feeling to have. And no, I don't want you guys to boycott this author and even report her (I think it's a her at least) or something…for now. I've PMed this author in question, asking her to take the story down or rewrite it at least, but I don't see anything happening. I'm giving her until the end of the week to do something; otherwise, I'm changing my mind and reporting her. This is like the third time throughout my stint in FF that someone is copying my work!_

_What I ask is for you guys to message her or even leave comments, asking her to please take the story down, or at the very least, rewrite it. I don't like seeing my hard work being copied and pasted, and being passed off as another person's work without even giving credit!_

_Anyway, if you guys want to know, the story ID is 8499552, with the title being Love Triangle. I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review!_


	21. I Won't Lose

Sorry for the super long update! But please, I do still have a life outside of writing, and my assignments won't write themselves, you know? Second year of college is a nightmare! I could swear that my lecturers seem to think that we can go on for days without sleeping. Anyway, I feel like crying when I'd watched the last episode of Kuroko no Basuke last weekend. That means no more Kuroko no Basuke until April of next year when season two airs!

Also, I have both good news and bad news for you guys with the end of the first season of the anime. No, it doesn't mean that I'm stopping my story at the end of the Kaijo versus Touou match. As I'm sure you've noticed, I followed the anime storyline more than the manga, since I find it less long winded, and more interesting.

There's going to be a new arc for this story after the Kaijo versus Touou match, and I'll probably be focusing more on my other Kuroko no Basuke stories until the start of the new season, with a few new Kuroko no Basuke stories coming your way!

And did anyone get the Kuroko no Basuke OST? Damn, I love the songs, especially the instrumental ones! I always did like instrumental songs more than those with singers. Find it more emotional.

_Powerful Tamaki:_ Well, you'll see what she is capable of in future chapters. And also, someone had asked about a possible 'Days in Teiko' story in the future. Rather than put it as a separate story, I'm going to put it as a different arc in this story, and going more into depth about it, seeing as how it actually takes place in the _Princess of Miracles_ universe.

_The Plagiariser: _Thanks for all your help. The author in question had already taken the story off the site (without so much as an apology, I might add), and if you are reading this, then might I suggest that you do not do this anymore? People aren't as kind as to just let this go with recent years, and I don't want you getting hate mail because of this as well. Also, a friend of mine had contacted me, saying that the current Kuroko no Basuke stories that you have seems to be pretty much rip offs from some of _her_ favourite stories as well, and there is one that seems to be a rip off from _her own story. _People aren't stupid, you know? And this fandom is still pretty small. I pretty much check it every single day in hopes of seeing some new stories, and it is easy for me to tell which are rip offs, and which aren't. I'm pretty patient and lenient with plagiarisers, as compared to some of my friends on FF, but even there is a limit to how much I can take, especially if you're ripping off _my_ story. My suggestion: come up with a completely original idea, and if your story idea is inspired by someone else's, ASK PERMISSION FIRST! I can't emphasis more on that.

_Omake:_ I'm not really much of a humour writer person, and some people have been asking me about possible omakes in this story, like the time when Takao had accidentally groped Tamaki. Would you guys like to see one?

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Twenty: I Won't Lose**

"_I know you better than anyone else." - Kise Ryota_

**XXXXXX**

The day of Seirin's departure from the inn dawned bright and clear, and the entire Seirin team were all up at seven in the morning, packing everything up and also to check that nothing had been left behind. Shutoku would also be leaving that day, but only in the afternoon.

And thus, two hours before noon could find the entire team gathered in front of the inn's entrance with Aoi at Tamaki's feet, tongue hanging out, and tail wagging happily.

"Everyone's here. Ready, and…"

"_Thank you very much!"_

Aoi barked happily.

Tamaki turned to move off with the rest of her team, glancing back at one of the inn windows on the second storey as she does so.

Midorima was standing at the window, staring down at the Seirin team, that day's lucky item resting in the palm of his left hand. The green haired teen nodded to her, and Tamaki nodded back, recalling what Midorima had told her that morning when she'd ran into him in the hallway of the bathroom.

"_It's today. The match between Kaijo and Touou." Midorima informed Tamaki even as she remained outside the male bathroom as Midorima squeezed some toothpaste onto his toothbrush and proceeded to clean his teeth. "It's the first match this basketball season when two starters of the Generation of Miracles would be going against each other." He spit out the toothpaste in his mouth. "In your opinion, who do you think would win?"_

_Tamaki was silent for several moments. "I have no idea," she admitted. "Daiki is our ace for a reason. The ace is the team's trump card, there to help them out of a tight spot. When we're starting out during freshman year, it is Daiki who had helped us out of a tight spot, especially during that challenge match against the seniors. But Kise-kun…" She trailed off._

_Midorima snorted. "Even a monkey can perform those moves of his," he commented, rinsing his mouth with water. "But…" He walked out of the bathroom, a lime green towel around his neck, water droplets dripping off his chin. "He's still one of us."_

"_He started basketball because of Daiki." Tamaki remarked. "Suffice to say, he has tremendous respect for him, and looked up to him. Of course, that also goes for the rest of us. But…" Tamaki closed her eyes briefly. "If he continues with that mindset of his that he is the weakest among our team, and can never beat any of us, then he'll never beat us. He has the potential to grow stronger. But that potential is getting hindered by his way of thinking. Maybe… This match with Daiki… Just maybe…"_

"_Well, those two put aside, I want you to pass Kagami a message," said Midorima, and Tamaki cocked her head to one side curiously._

"Where do you think you're going?" Riko's voice broke Tamaki out of her thoughts just then, and the teal haired girl then realised that they've already walked out to the main street.

"What? To the station?" Hyuuga asked, confused.

"Why do you think we held our training camp here?" Riko asked with exasperation. Seriously, did nobody check the dates of the _Inter High tournament? _I mean, sure, Seirin is out of the tournament, but did they never think that going to watch it is a good chance for them to prepare for the Winter Cup? "This year, they're holding the games here!"

"I see!" Izuki seemed to have remembered something as he reached into his bag and pulled out his dark blue cellphone. "Today's quarter final game is between…" Hyuuga who was next to Izuki leaned over to see his screen, and the faces of the two second years paled drastically as they read the names of the teams competing that day.

"Kaijo and Touou!"

Tamaki sighed to herself, looking up at the blue skies. She's been concerned about this since last night. The match between Kaijo and Touou won't be just a normal match. While basketball is definitely a team sport, without a doubt, the Kaijo versus Touou match will be revolving around the aces of both teams. It will be a showdown between two starters of the Generation of Miracles – Kise Ryota and Aomine Daiki.

'_What is going to happen in this match?'_ Tamaki wondered as Riko literally dragged the entire team to the nearest bus stop to board the bus that will take them to the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium where the Inter High tournament is being held.

The teal haired girl turned around where Kagami is currently occupying the seat behind her in the bus. The redhead seemed to be quite distracted, and is currently staring out of the window, staring at the scenery that passed them.

"Kagami-kun." Kagami gave a start as Tamaki called his name. "Just before we left, Midorima-kun gave me a message." The teal haired girl informed him, much to Kagami's confusion.

"What?" he croaked.

"_Well, those two put aside, I want you to pass Kagami a message," said Midorima, and Tamaki cocked her head to one side curiously._

"_About that, thank you for yesterday." Tamaki told her former teammate with a slight bow. _

"_Don't be ridiculous." Midorima scoffed, adjusting the glasses on his face with his left hand. "I did nothing to deserve your gratitude. Even a flea can jump."_

Red angry ticks practically covered Kagami's head as he listened to the 'message' from Midorima coming from Tamaki's mouth.

Okay, he knows that he's an idiot. Riko had made sure that Kagami knew that right from his very first week with the basketball team. And he knew that his head is filled with nothing but basketball and food. Even his teachers have long given up on getting him to stay awake in class or even to pay attention. If it hadn't been for Tamaki who is a pretty studious student, he would probably have flunked every single exam that he had ever taken.

"'I only taught him a lesson because he is so stupid'." Tamaki repeated what Midorima had told her, either ignoring or not noticing the fact that more red ticks had appeared on Kagami's head.

"That bastard…" Kagami growled, resisting the urge to go back to the inn and beat the shit out of Midorima.

"Also… 'Don't lose until I beat you', apparently." Tamaki told Kagami much to his surprise, and the redhead grinned a feral grin.

"Like hell I'll lose! You tell him that!"

**XXXXXX**

The stands of the gymnasium were considerably more packed, as compared to the preliminaries when Seirin was participating in the Inter High. The stands were already packed with people, all eagerly waiting for the next match to begin, with a match between two unknown teams currently taking place down on the courts.

Clearly, the main highlight of the day is the match between Kaijo and Touou.

"Amazing! So this is the Inter High!" Koganei chirped.

"Coach, when's the game we're here to see?" Hyuuga asked Riko who is busy typing something on her phone.

"After this one." Riko answered. "It should be soon."

'_Kaijo versus Touou.'_ Kagami mused, recalling Seirin's practice match with Kaijo, and then their devastating loss to Touou. _'A game between Kise Ryota and Aomine Daiki!'_

The redhead glanced at his teal haired teammate who is currently surveying the stands and the court, an unreadable expression on her face. And then again, since when could he tell just what she's thinking anyway?

"Tamaki." Tamaki turned around, and Kagami stepped closer to the teal haired girl. "Who do you think will win?"

At that question, every single Seirin player paid rapt attention to Tamaki, trying not to make it so obvious that they were listening in, though it is pretty obvious to Tamaki.

"I don't know." Tamaki admitted. "This is the first time that two starters of the Generation of Miracles play against each other. While I may have been Kise-kun's instructor before he had become a regular, it had been Aomine-kun who had inspired Kise-kun to play basketball."

Kagami was surprised; he wasn't aware of that bit of information. "Really?"

Tamaki nodded, recalling all those times when Kise had challenged Aomine to a one-on-one match back in Teiko ever since Kise's admittance into the basketball team.

It had been before Kise was even admitted into the first string, but Aomine had actually compiled with his request to play against him. The Aomine back then is a basketball idiot, and will gladly play with anyone who wants to play against him.

In fact, when Tamaki was training Kise one-on-one after the blonde's admittance into the first string, Aomine had often assisted her after she had helped the blonde to come up with his own unique style that every single player in the Generation of Miracles had. Even Tamaki had her own unique style that no one could copy or mimic. Not even Kise.

"They used to play one-on-one a lot." Tamaki explained to Kagami. "When I was training Kise-kun in second year, it had been Aomine-kun who had helped me a lot with his training. Kise-kun is the type to learn as he does plays himself. Hence why he made it into the regulars within three months after his admittance into the first string."

"Hard to believe that that Aomine can instruct someone." Kagami snorted.

Tamaki hid an amused smile.

Seriously speaking, amongst the Generation of Miracles, she is the only one who is better equipped in teaching and instructing someone. There is one occasion back in second year when Aomine was told to be an instructor to a player from the second string. The poor second stringer turned in his resignation three days later. And no one ever asked Aomine to be an instructor again. If there is anyone from the regulars that the coach needed to coach someone, it will be Tamaki.

At the very least, the teal haired girl is patient enough and wouldn't cause any unnecessary trauma to the poor players. Hence why the players from the other strings would prefer her over any of the other regulars to teach them.

"Well, he didn't really 'instruct' Kise-kun." Tamaki corrected Kagami. "He's mainly just playing one-on-one with Kise-kun whilst I did the instructing bit. And even after Kise-kun made it as a regular, they still played one-on-one with each other."

At least, until their third year when Aomine had started drifting apart from the rest of the team.

"But Kise-kun has never won." Tamaki said. "Not even once."

**XXXXXX**

As the time drew closer to the time of the match between Kaijo versus Touou, the stands became more packed with the audience. Seirin had actually managed to find some good seats that will allow them a nice view of the match, with Tamaki actually putting Aoi into her bag, with the puppy's head sticking out of it.

The pup was actually looking around him curiously, yet content enough to stay in Tamaki's bag.

It was with a tense atmosphere as the players on both teams entered the court, with Kise approaching Aomine.

"I won't lose, Aominecchi."

Aomine smirked at the blonde. "What? You're awfully confident, Kise." He commented. "Have you ever beaten me before?"

"I'll win today." Kise stated. "I really don't want to lose today."

Meanwhile over with the two captains on both teams, Imayoshi grasped Kasamatsu's hand in a brief handshake. "Good luck." The black haired teen greeted, with Kasamatsu returning his greeting before both captains returned to their teams.

Imayoshi glanced over his shoulder at Kasamatsu to see the Kaijo captain having a last minute briefing with his team – all who were listening intently. _'He's got presence. I wouldn't expect less from a National level team's captain.'_

Imayoshi smirked. _'This will be an interesting match.'_

"_Let the second quarter final game between Kaijo High School and Touou Academy begin!"_

* * *

Up in the stands where the audience are seated, Tamaki was watching Kise and Aomine intently. Only the Generation of Miracles knew that this wouldn't just be a normal match. And it isn't just because of the fact that Kise had never beaten Aomine once either.

Like what Midorima had said once, Kise's style is more of the 'monkey see, monkey do'. The blonde's 'copycat style' had actually helped him out more than once, with it being a style that is unique only to him. But it is still a fact that Kise had started basketball later than any of the others in the Generation of Miracles. Even Midorima had started playing basketball in grade school, only to hone his own style when he'd started at Teiko.

And it is a fact that Kise had looked up to the members of the Generation of Miracles, Aomine especially. It might just be an unconscious thing, but probably, somewhere in Kise's heart, he _didn't_ want to see Aomine lose.

'_If Kise-kun wants to beat Daiki, he will have to stop admiring him.' _Tamaki thought. _'After all, Kise-kun started basketball in the first place because he saw how Daiki had played. Back in second year…'_

* * *

_~Second Year of Teiko, Spring~_

"_Idiot! Where are you hitting?"_

"_Ah! Heads up!"_

Kise Ryota looked up just in time only to feel a hard impact hitting into the back of his head. The pain was actually enough to have tears appear in Kise's eyes. And then again, the blonde is a bit of a cry baby anyway.

"What is this?" Kise whined, glancing at his foot as an orange ball rolled away. "A basketball?"

"Sorry! Sorry!" Kise turned around only to see a tanned male wearing a sleeveless dark blue shirt with white shorts, a cheerful grin on his face. "Hey, you're that famous model, Kise-kun."

Kise recognised this guy immediately.

As long as you're in Teiko, you're bound to hear of the basketball club and even their regulars, even if you aren't a member. After all, Teiko had done the unthinkable the previous year when a group of freshmen had beaten the previous varsity basketball team, and had formed their own team, claiming the varsity position with the support and backing of the School Board and the students of their school.

And in that same year, they have taken the middle school basketball tournaments by storm, actually emerging as champion for the Inter High, Winter Cup, and even the National tournaments. And all the regulars were actually freshmen.

Hence, the basketball club is actually the most famous and sought after club to join in Teiko, with them having over two hundred members. Though Kise had heard the rumours of the captain being quite picky over the promotions of their members. Apparently, you have to either impress him or their vice-captain enough to earn yourself a promotion.

"What's your problem?" Kise grumbled, tossing the basketball back to Aomine Daiki.

The blonde had often seen the tanned guy around the school, often with a petite teal haired girl, with the two sometimes joined by a pink haired girl. Some of the girls in Kise's class had told him that the three were all part of the basketball club, with Aomine and the teal haired girl being regulars, and the pink haired girl being the manager for the first string.

"Thanks!" Aomine grinned at him as he turned back the way he had came from, heading towards the direction of the first gym where the first string players of the basketball club practiced. "Hey, I got the ball!" He called out to some unknown person.

'_Basketball, huh?'_ Kise mused, even as Aomine disappeared into the school building. _'I haven't tried that one yet. Now that I think of it, I heard our school is pretty strong.' _He made his way towards the first gym where Aomine had headed towards, and the blonde's eyes widened.

Aomine currently had possession of the ball, and had just broken past three of the players in the club – most probably from the second string or something, as Kise doesn't recognise them as regulars from the school magazine or even from the various sports magazines that he'd picked up, and Aomine dunked the ball into the hoop.

'_Amazing!'_ Kise thought, with his eyes shining. _'That speed… Those movements… Can I do that?' _He followed Aomine with his eyes as the tanned teen approached the teal haired girl that he is always hanging around. Aomine is in the class next to Kise after all. The blonde had often seen him around the school. _'It's impossible. No, maybe if I try…'_

The teal haired girl glanced at Kise over Aomine's shoulder, and she studied him for several moments. There is a curious look in her eyes as she studied Kise fervently, and she then turned her attention back to Aomine, saying something to him.

The dark blue haired teen turned around curiously only to see Kise standing at the doorway of the gym.

"Can we help you?" The teal haired girl approached Kise, with Aomine close behind her, a frown on his face. "I'm sorry, but if you're not a member of the basketball club, I will have to ask you to leave." She said politely.

It had been a very strict rule of Teiko – one that had been announced at the start of the year when Kise had first transferred in. Apparently, the basketball club's captain was so annoyed with the number of scouts and spies from last year, especially with their victories at the three major basketball tournaments last year, that he had decided enough is enough. It didn't help matters that several of those spies were posing as Teiko's students, and in the end, the captain had made it a rule that if you aren't a member of the basketball club, then you aren't allowed in the gym.

"I…" Kise stared at Aomine with stars for eyes, and the tanned teen cringed and took a step backwards. "Can I join the basketball club?" He asked breathlessly.

Aomine and the teal haired girl exchanged bemused looks.

'_I want to play basketball with this guy! And then someday… Someday…'_

**XXXXXX**

'_Seriously, it is Daiki who is better than Kise-kun in terms of basketball ability.'_ Tamaki mused as she watched the fast paced match going on below her in the courts, even as Aomine did a quick switch 'pass' before using a formless shot that Kise was quick to stop, though not without much difficulty. Aomine's shots are always difficult to stop, even for Murasakibara. _'Logically, it is Touou who had the advantage here. But…'_

The teal haired girl glanced at the Kaijo captain. _'There is one person who is bad at giving up here. In fact, Kaijo seemed ready. They seemed ready to fight to the end. If it is teamwork, Kaijo is definitely better than Touou. But…'_ She closed her eyes briefly. Tamaki after all had first hand experience with Touou to know that teamwork alone isn't enough to beat them.

'_I'm impressed.'_ Imayoshi thought, glancing at Kise. _'That's the first time I've seen anyone stop Aomine in a one-on-one.'_

Kise walked past Aomine, and the tanned player smirked. "I didn't think you'd actually stop me," he commented.

"Who do you think played and lost one-on-one to you every day?" Kise complained. "I know you better than anyone else." _'Well, except for Tamacchi perhaps.' _

The blonde knew just how well that Tamaki knew and understood the playing styles of each member of the Generation of Miracles, Aomine especially, since the teal haired girl had been his partner. Tamaki is the one who'd written up the training regimes of the Generation of Miracles back during their Teiko days after all. She maybe knows them better than even they knew themselves.

"I see." Aomine nodded, a dark smirk on his face.

Satsuki who is on the Touou bench watched the two former Teiko players with concern.

Tamaki who is up in the stands fidgeted with her fingers. "This is going to be bad…" she muttered, and Kagami looked at her curiously. "Have you forgotten? Touou doesn't just have Aomine-kun on their side. They have Satsuki too."

Hyuuga nodded slowly, remembering the pink haired girl who had given them so much trouble during their match against Touou. If it hadn't been for Tamaki's support from the sidelines then, they would probably have lost with an even wider margin.

"That's true. Kise managed to stop Aomine. But Touou has another strength." The Seirin captain concluded. "Momoi's precognitive defense."

"And Satsuki isn't just a normal manager." Tamaki told her team. "It is partly due to her that the Generation of Miracles became as well-known as they are now. But Kaijo won't just roll over like that too. We'd played against them once. We should know how strong they are. Besides, they have one guy over there that might just be the bane of Touou." Tamaki glanced at Kasamatsu. "You don't see many guys like him after all."

**XXXXXX**

'_What should we do? Should I pass to Kise?'_ Kasamatsu thought furiously, currently in possession of the ball and being guarded closely by Imayoshi.

The Kaijo captain glanced around only to see Kise currently getting guarded by Aomine, and he immediately threw that idea out of the window. He glanced towards his side only to have Moriyama catch his eye, and the Shooting Guard nodded before breaking past the guard of Touou Number 9.

"Moriyama!" Kasamatsu shouted, getting in a pass position.

'_We won't fall for that!'_ Imayoshi thought, not moving from his current position at all. _'You're going to fake a pass and go for the drive!'_

Kasamatsu immediately made a drive past Imayoshi and towards the basket, only to be stopped by the Touou captain. Kasamatsu looked pissed. _'You're wrong! I'm really going for what's coming next.'_ He performed a quick turnaround. _'A turnaround!'_

"Into a fadeaway jump!" Imayoshi smirked. And he immediately jumped into the air, one arm stretched out to stop the shot that he knew is coming next. After all, Momoi's data is never wrong.

Kasamatsu doesn't look happy, but he isn't fazed in the least. "You're right, but it doesn't matter!" And he jumped into the air, with the ball positioned for a shot.

'_He's fast! You're kidding!' _Imayoshi was taken aback. _'I knew it was coming, but I couldn't keep up!'_

Kasamatsu took a shot, and growled when he realised that the ball had scraped past Imayoshi's nail. That means it had a good chance of missing the goal. "Rebound!" he shouted even as the ball bounced off the rim of the goal.

Hayakawa was already making his way towards the ball, making a war cry as he did so. "I'll get it this time!" he bellowed, leaping into the air and grabbing the ball just before Susa and Wakamatsu could get it.

'_Crap, the offense rebounded.' _Number 7 Susa scowled.

Several ticks have appeared on the head of the short tempered Touou Center, as Wakamatsu twitched badly, trying to resist the urge to throttle the opposing team's Power Forward. Clearly, the guy didn't know the meaning of 'inside voice', since he'd been pretty much screaming and shouting at the top of his lungs ever since the start of the match. His ears have been ringing since then! If he ever has a problem with his hearing in the future, he'll sue that guy!

'_This guy…'_ Wakamatsu twitched. "Shut up already!"

Hayakawa immediately threw the ball towards Moriyama who is free from his guard, and the Shooting Guard immediately shoot a three pointer into the basket just as the buzzer went off, signalling the end of the first quarter.

The score is now at 18-13, with Kaijo in the lead.

* * *

"We're not losing to Aomine." Moriyama remarked from Kaijo's bench as the players were taking a breather with the slight interval before the second quarter, with Kise quenching his thirst from his tumbler. "At this rate…"

"I don't know about that." Kise said, glancing at Aomine. "If we won like this, it would be too easy."

* * *

"Kaijo's in the lead," said Hyuuga with surprise. With how badly that Touou had beaten them, and with Seirin's own victory over Kaijo at that practice match so long ago, the Seirin captain had assumed that Touou would be leading in this match. Clearly, Kaijo had improved drastically since then. "That's a surprise."

"Without a doubt, Kise-kun has grown stronger since then." Tamaki agreed, fidgeting with her fingers. _'I got a bad feeling about this. What is going to happen in this match?'_

Kiyoshi who was eyeing both Kaijo and Touou finally tore his eyes away from them and turned back to his own team. "Can I ask you something?" he asked. "How did you guys beat Kaijo?"

It is a question that had been nagging at him for some time now, ever since Riko had happily informed him about Seirin's victory over Kaijo, and had even handed him the videos of that practice match.

Seirin was rendered speechless by Kiyoshi's question.

"Um…"

"With spirit?" Kagami asked unsurely.

"Well, that aside, if Kaijo and Kise-kun don't pick up their pace and game, it is only going to get worse for them as the match continues," said Tamaki seriously, and her teammates turned their attention towards the teal haired girl. "There is a reason why Aomine-kun is the ace of the Generation of Miracles. It isn't only because he is the strongest. But because he tends to get stronger as the game goes on. And if he's going to get any better, it will probably happen soon."

In fact, if there is one thing that all the Generation of Miracles had in common, aside from the fact that they all hates losing with a passion, it is that each of them grows and evolves in a match. That is part of the reason why their members are so difficult to beat.

"Tamaki, can I ask a question?" Kagami asked, and Tamaki nodded. "In your opinion, who is stronger? Kise or Aomine?"

There was silence for several moments before Tamaki sighed. "…Aomine-kun," she admitted at last. "But like what I'd said before, until the last whistle is blown, the result of a match isn't decided yet."

**XXXXXX**

The buzzer went off, signalling the start of the second quarter.

Touou players were stretching themselves to loosen their muscles, whilst Kaijo…

"A(ll) (r)ight! (L)et's go!" Hayakawa was _bellowing,_ and Kasamatsu who isn't standing too far away was ready to throttle his teammate to save himself the embarrassment of having the audience _and_ the opposing team staring at them like they're some freak show. "(L)et's do it! (L)et's get those (r)ebounds! I'm (r)eady to go! Yeah!"

Wakamatsu who isn't standing too far away had several ticks covering his head. "That guy just won't shut up from just now!" he snapped, turning towards Imayoshi.

Imayoshi placed his hand on his Center's shoulder. "You're always pretty loud too." The Touou captain commented.

"What?"

"You're actually pretty similar." Susa pointed out.

"You're kidding!"

"Anyway, it's no fun watching your opponents celebrate." Imayoshi remarked, with the referee handing the ball to him. He smirked darkly at Kaijo who were all gathered around their captain. "Let's take it slow, shall we?"

Imayoshi grinned darkly.

* * *

_A/N: Right, my apologies for the shorter than usual update. But I'll probably be fast forwarding the Kaijo versus Touou match a little. About the 'Days of Teiko' arc, it'll be after the Kaijo versus Touou match. Anyway, there are some Kuroko no Basuke ideas that I've been playing about for some time. Tell me which ones you want me to start on the most:_

_**Broken Glass**_

To be a shadow means to be unnoticeable. But how can one not be noticeable, especially after the entire Seirin team discovered that their team's shadow is a victim of domestic abuse? Friendship fic.

_**Fallen Shadow**_

She only went to Touou because her best friend begged her. Never did she expect for Fate to be so cruel to her as to force her to face him every single day. Fem!KurokoXAomine

_**Weeping Words**_

What if Momoi had enough of Aomine in third year, and promptly followed Kuroko to Seirin? How would this change the story?

_**Fallen Shards**_

RPG AU. The different arcane guilds had always been at loggerheads with each other, especially the legendary guild, Teiko, which was led by six of the highest class of warriors that had ever existed, the Kiseki no Sedai. But when the very life of the world, the Mimir Tree was threatened, the guilds must put aside their differences and fight for a common goal. The war has begun. Fem!KurokoXAomine

_**Alternative Eclipse**_

Set in Princess of Miracles' universe. What if Aomine had never joined Touou at all, and instead attended Seirin alongside Tamaki? Can Seirin help to bring back Aomine's love for basketball, and more importantly, can Aomine regain his friendship with Tamaki once more? Fem!Kuroko/Aomine

_**Into the Dark**_

Vampires have always been something like that of a myth – only something out of a storybook. Kagami Taiga definitely didn't expect for his life to take a turn for the unexpected when he came answering a call recruitment drive for a cook at the Seirin Café, and got himself involved with the war between the vampires and the hunters. Vampire!GoM. Aomine/Fem!Kuroko

_**Teiko High School**_

What if the Generation of Miracles had enough of the treatment by the different teams and different high schools treating them as some trophies to be won for their teams, and decided to join the sister high school to Teiko Middle? The worst fear of the high school basketball circuit had just come true: the Generation of Miracles are back. And they are out for blood.

_And also, I have a new story idea for my Wattpad. You can find my profile link for Wattpad on my bio page:_

_**Hunted (Wattpad)**_

Yuri Lorewell seems to be your usual everyday high school girl. She is good looking, had good grades, and is also popular in school. However, she also has a secret: she is really part of the underground organisation SIN that had actually helped the new government of Lorelei to overthrow the old corrupted government. As a result of their actions during the war, the new government had deemed SIN a threat, and had ordered their members to be killed. As a result, SIN had split and scattered all over the country, with Yuri never staying long in one place, always taking on different identities, always looking over her shoulder.

Until a former SIN comrade had appeared on her doorstep one day, giving her the much dreaded news: "Eris and Sen are dead. They were cornered by the army at District 30. They're coming for you now. You are next."

_Anyway, tell me what you want to see or happen in the Teiko arc. I hope that you guys like this chapter, and please read and review!_


	22. We Believe in You

_Updates: _Well, sorry for the lack of updates for about a month or so, but like I'd said before, I _do_ have another life outside of writing. College life is no joke, especially when you're in film school. My lecturers are really trying to work us to death! I'm looking forward to my holidays in about another month or so. But before that, I have tests and assignments to worry about.

_New Kuroko no Basuke stories:_ Thank you for your votes and comments on your favourite stories. But I'll probably finish one of the stories on my account first of all before beginning a new one. More specifically, my Naruto ones, though I'm not very fond of the anime right now. Tamaki will probably be making an appearance in nearly all the new ones I'd mentioned except for _Broken Glass_ and _Weeping Words._

_Momoi:_ Actually, I'm kind of struggling with her pairing. I honestly have no idea who to pair her with. I've seen many stories that pair her with Kise, but I'm not really sure if that pairing really works out in this story. It's either Kise or Wakamatsu for Momoi.

_Doujinshi:_ Some people have been asking me if they could either use the _Princess of Miracles'_ universe or just use the story as a base for the comics that they're drawing. I have no problems with either, but I just would like to see it once you're done with it. Heaven knows that I read the doujin section for KnB in various sites whenever I could.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Twenty One: We Believe in You**

"_No matter who he's up against, Aomine doesn't lose. He's the best." - Imayoshi Shoichi_

**XXXXXX**

It is currently the second quarter of the Kaijo versus Touou match, and both teams are tied at 18-18, with only a minute into the second quarter of the game.

The Seirin team were all watching the match with concern, barely holding their breaths because of the intense pressure of the match between Kaijo and Touou. Tamaki hadn't said anything ever since the start of the match, but kept her eyes on the match, never even looking away once. Kagami who was sitting next to the teal haired girl knew that look on his partner's face. It was the same look that she had on whenever their coach had asked her to 'play manager' during their training sessions.

Tamaki is currently on full analytical mode.

Hyuuga was frowning. _'This isn't good,'_ he mused to himself, especially after Aomine had earned himself one free throw when Kaijo's Kobori had committed a foul. _'They can't stop Aomine anymore. He's too strong.'_ Seirin knew Touou's strength, or more specifically, _Aomine's _strength, especially after the disastrous match that Seirin had with Touou during the Inter High preliminaries. _'Not even Kise can beat him.'_

"They're too strong…" Fukuda muttered, eyes wide as he watched the match going on below them. "I know that I'd thought of this before, but that Aomine… He's too strong! Kaijo is going to lose at this rate!"

"I wonder about that." Tamaki mused, causing the eyes of her teammates to turn towards her. But like how she is, the teal haired girl doesn't seem fazed in the least, and kept her eyes focused on the match below her. "Until the last whistle is blown, the match isn't decided yet. Besides, the weakest among us or not, Kise-kun is still one of the Generation of Miracles. And if there is one thing that all of us had in common apart from the fact that we _hate_ losing with a passion, it is that we're bad at giving up." Tamaki had a small smile on her face at that. "The match isn't over yet. It won't be over until the last whistle is blown, or when one of them gives up."

**XXXXXX**

Kise caught the ball coming his way, and was about to move towards the goal when Aomine appeared in front of him again, blocking his path.

Up in the stands, Tsuchida frowned. "Again?"

How many times does this makes now? Ever since the first quarter, Aomine and Kise have both been facing off against each other. It is like both teams are counting on their own aces for the match. Whichever team that would leave the match as the victor today will be the team with the stronger ace.

"Kaijo must intend to put everything on Kise-kun." Riko remarked solemnly.

Watching this match really reminds her of just what kind of monsters that had once made up the legendary basketball team. The brunette coach had seen first hand for herself just what Tamaki, and then Kise, later on Midorima, and then Aomine have been capable of. And there are still two members left of the legendary team. If just the four of them are already this scary, then what are the other two capable of?

Riko can understand why the high school basketball circuit are panicking when it came time for the Generation of Miracles to enter high school. Tamaki had never said the reason _why_ they have decided to split up, but whatever the reason is, it makes no mistake that it is a wise decision. If only to keep the Generation of Miracles from dominating the high school basketball circuit like how they did the middle school basketball circuit for three years running.

And to think that those guys (with one girl) are still only fifteen, still in the midst of their growth. If they're already _this_ strong as freshmen, then how much stronger could they be once they reach the peak of their growth, or once they became seniors?

"Whichever team that will emerge as the victor will be the team that has the stronger ace." Tamaki remarked from out of the blue, apparently reading Riko's mind as always.

* * *

Down on the court, Imayoshi was smirking in that annoying way of his that made Kasamatsu want to wipe that smirk off of the face of the Touou captain.

"You still don't understand. Your Kise-kun's good at copying people, but that's it." Imayoshi smirked at Kasamatsu. "It's the biggest reason Kise-kun can't win. He doesn't have his own weapon. It's impossible for him to beat Aomine at basketball.

Kasamatsu's eye twitched dangerously at the words that his fellow captain had stated to _his face_ about his _own team's ace._ The Kaijo captain turned his eyes skywards and counted one to ten rapidly in his head to control his own rising temper.

It wouldn't be good if he punches Imayoshi in the middle of the court…

"Say, do a lot of people tell you you've got a bad personality?" Kasamatsu asked sarcastically.

"Whoa, now. That's pretty harsh."

Kasamatsu's eyes were almost like daggers at this point of time. If looks could kill, Imayoshi would probably be six feet under. "You're the one who doesn't understand." Kasamatsu challenged. "Copying techniques and making them your own is learning. In other words, it's growing."

Kasamatsu remembered the conversation that he had with Kise after the practice match that Kaijo had with Seirin. The Kaijo captain understood a whole lot more about the teal haired girl than whatever brief encounters that he had with her during that match after the conversation that he had with Kise. He also understood why Kise had idolised her so much, and takes Tamaki's opinion in such high regard that he was beyond pissed off that the teal haired girl had chosen a new team like Seirin as her chosen high school team when she could have joined any of the best teams in the country like the rest of her former teammates.

"_Your instructor?" Kasamatsu echoed in Kaijo's locker room, closing the door of his locker and turning around to face Kise._

_The rest of their teammates have already gone back home sometime back, and it is just him and Kise in the locker room now. The blonde is currently sitting on the bench in Kaijo's locker room, dressed in his school uniform, leaving his blazer beside him on the bench._

_Kise nodded. "Before I'd became a starting member of Teiko during my second year, it had been Tamacchi who had trained me for four months before she gave the approval for me to join the team as a starting member." A dark look appeared briefly on Kise's face, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared that it missed Kasamatsu's notice._

_One of the reasons why Akashi and Tamaki have both approved to have Kise join them as a starting member despite the fact that he is the newest and also the least experienced amongst them is mainly because of a certain gray haired troublesome starter that they had at that time. Akashi had nearly reached the end of his patience then which is saying something, since the redhead had a long and thick line of patience. The final straw came about a week before Kise had officially joined Teiko as a starting member, when Haizaki had tried to force himself on Tamaki._

_Whoever you are, as long as you're in Teiko, you would know better than to touch the teal haired girl. If you so much as hurt one hair on her head, you will have to face the three other members of the Generation of Miracles. And assuming that you can walk away alive after facing all three of them (Murasakibara, Midorima and Aomine), you will then have to go through Momoi and her Mama Bear tendencies when it comes to her best friend. And if you're still alive after all that, then you will wind up facing the basketball captain who also so happens to be the teal haired girl's **overprotective cousin.**_

_May Kami have mercy on your soul if you ever end up facing Akashi Seijuro in Mama Bear mode if you ever did anything to his cousin._

"_Oh." It explains a lot of things for Kasamatsu however. That explains why Kise is so attached to the teal haired girl, and adores her so. "No offense, but I can't really see her teaching you much."_

_Kise laughed. "Yeah, Tamacchi does gives off that vibe, doesn't she? And yes, it's true that she isn't much of an offense player, but she **is** a good teacher, believe it or not," he smiled. "I learned lots from her in four months. Midorima-cchi once commented that my style of playing is the style of 'monkey see, monkey do'. And while he isn't totally wrong about it, it had been Tamacchi who had taught me this style."_

_Kasamatsu's eyes widened. It had been the apathetic teal haired girl who had taught Kise his current style that is so lethal? But then again, if she had taught Kise his style, then it only makes sense just why Seirin was able to counter Kise._

"_When she was training me, she merely observes me during the first few days to figure out my strengths and weaknesses before she came up with an idea for my new style." Kise smiled. "At that time, Tamacchi told me something."_

"_**To put it simply, your new style is the copycat style. Put it negatively, your style is the 'monkey see, monkey do' style." Tamaki explained, a basketball under one arm, a whistle around her neck. "But like the rest of us in the team, that is a style that is uniquely your own. Copying techniques and making them your own has no wrong in it. It's called learning. But you'll be the one to decide just how far you can bring it."**_

"_That's what Tamacchi told me at that time." Kise said. "The Generation of Miracles is a team of six players. Tamacchi is often overlooked because of her gender and her lack of presence. But often, those are attributes that will cause her to be the most dangerous on the field."_

* * *

"Kise's style?" Kagami echoed, glancing over at his partner who is currently hunched over on her knees, with her hands supporting her chin, her elbows on her knees. Her bag where her puppy is currently resting in is currently just next to her, and Kagami is careful not to go near that bag.

Tamaki nodded. "I was the one to teach him that style, so in a way, I guess you can say that I know all the ins and outs of it, right down to the weaknesses and strengths. Like Midorima-kun's long distance shooting and Aomine-kun's formless play, that 'copycat style' is what defines Kise-kun as part of the Generation of Miracles. While he is the least experienced out of all of us, he is also the one with the most potential. There are two things stopping him from reaching that potential. One is _admiration._ The admiration and respect that Kise-kun had for the rest of the Generation of Miracles. And the second is…"

* * *

Aomine smirked as Kise moved in a familiar pace that was just used by the Kaijo captain several moments earlier. _'He's copying Kasamatsu this time. That can't stop me.'_

The tanned player immediately leapt into the air, knocking the ball out of Kise's grasp, much to the blonde's shock. "I'm your mark." Aomine declared. "Don't assume I'm like the evil glasses guy."

Over in a corner, Imayoshi looked as if someone had just killed his puppy. "Are you talking about me?" The Touou captain almost whined, pointing at himself. "So mean!"

A whistle rang out just then.

"_Kaijo High School, time out."_

* * *

"They're tied." Hyuuga remarked, glancing at the electronic scoreboard that read 18-18, with twenty eight seconds to go before the end of the second quarter. "But the game's just getting started. Touou won't be easy to stop once they get going."

Kiyoshi meanwhile was watching both teams carefully, especially the aces of both teams. _'But the difference between the two teams isn't much. Victory will be decided by the difference between their aces. What will they do?'_ he wondered.

Kagami who was watching both Touou and Kaijo flickered his eyes towards Tamaki. The teal haired girl was still hunched over her knees, watching both teams carefully, her eyes narrowed in concentration. The redhead blinked in confusion.

"Tamaki?" Kagami echoed.

**XXXXXX**

The timeout was soon over, and everyone (mainly the basketball players) could tell right off the bat that there seems to be something different with Kaijo's movements. It is almost like they're waiting for something, much to Touou's confusion.

"There it is! Kise versus Aomine!" Koganei pointed out as both teams' aces faced off against each other once more.

"How many times have they done this today?" Tsuchida wondered.

Kise met with Aomine's eyes for a moment before his grip tightened on the ball, and he passed the ball quickly to Hayakawa who was standing nearby. Both Aomine and Momoi who is on the bench stared on in both shock and confusion. Kagami stared on in confusion as well. Tamaki however, straightened her posture, a small miniscule frown on her face as she stared at Kise's form on the court.

'_It can't be…' _Tamaki realised what Kise's plan is immediately.

"Hey, what's wrong? Giving up already?" Aomine taunted Kise on the court. Inwardly however, he is confused. _'What's going on? One-on-one isn't his only choice, but he's not coming at me aggressively enough!'_

Kagami furrowed his brows in confusion. "Tamaki, what's going on?" he asked, turning towards his friend. But Tamaki didn't answer him, and neither did she respond to him. The redhead blinked. "Tamaki?"

"Can you be silent for a moment?" was Tamaki's blunt reply, and Kagami winced at her sharp tongue.

Okay. It's official. Tamaki is currently in analytical mode. That's about one of the few times when she tends to get sharp and short with just about anyone who interrupts her train of thoughts and concentration, with Kagami being the most frequent victim of Tamaki's sharp tongue.

"S-Sorry." Kagami apologised.

Tamaki was currently focusing on Kise, and ignoring everything and everyone around her. _'It can't be… That's too reckless, and there's no guarantee that it will work either. But…'_ The teal haired girl gave a miniscule smile as she looked at her blonde friend. _'That's exactly why they call us the Generation of Miracles.'_

* * *

_~Second Year of Teiko, Spring~_

Momoi Satsuki watched on with concern as Kise and Aomine went on another one-on-one with each other. The pink haired manager had already long lost count of the number of times when Kise had challenged Aomine to a short match. But ever since Tamaki was placed as Kise's instructor, those one-on-one matches seemed to be happening more frequently, and Akashi had even allotted the usage of the usually empty fourth gym for Tamaki to train Kise in peace with no interruptions whatsoever.

Momoi occasionally dropped by to supervise the training, and each time, Aomine was present to play Kise on a one-on-one. The pink haired manager had actually heard from Akashi and the coach that Tamaki had actually requested it.

The teal haired girl had observed Kise for the first few days during her coaching, and had noticed that Kise learned a lot more quickly if he's actually playing against someone. And as Aomine is someone whose play style that Tamaki is familiar with as well, that makes him the best person for Kise to train with, as Aomine's position on the team is Power Forward. As at the same time, it could also help Aomine to improve, Akashi had no objections, and had allowed the two regulars of his team (Tamaki and Aomine) to train in the fourth gym with Kise.

The only problem here is…

Momoi turned towards her best friend who had a clipboard in one hand, and a stopwatch in the other, which the teal haired girl is currently looking at.

The pink haired girl knew that while Tamaki is a good teacher, something that the players from the other strings could attest to, she could be a major slave driver during training. She demands a lot from her students, but never more than they could give. Even so, she tends to place their noses to the grindstones until they could do no more.

But still…

"Tamaki-chan, don't you think that you should cut Ki-chan some slack?" Momoi asked with concern. "You've just made him do some jumping jacks twenty times from the first gym to the fourth gym just yesterday. Then you made him do some quick sprints around the gym earlier. And now a fast paced one-on-one with Dai-chan? I know that we're in a hurry to prepare Ki-chan as best as we could so that he could join the starting line, but don't you think that you're pushing him too much? He'll burn out at this rate!"

"This is how all of us had trained during freshman year." Tamaki replied without taking her eyes off Kise and Aomine, and Momoi smiled weakly. That…is true. "Besides, I can't go easy on him. I can't afford to." She turned towards Momoi, and the pink haired manager was surprised to see the steely look in Tamaki's eyes. "Kise-kun has potential. The potential to be the _best._ And as his instructor, it's my job to bring out that potential. To max it out."

"Potential, huh?" Momoi mused. Like Akashi, Tamaki had an eye for talent and potential, as is Momoi herself. She can see what Tamaki is talking about. "Do you think that he can be as good as Dai-chan?"

"As good as?" Tamaki repeated, turning her attention back towards Kise and Aomine. "No way." She said, much to Momoi's surprise. "Because…"

* * *

'…_Kise-kun has the potential to be __**even**__ better than Daiki.'_ Tamaki mused to herself even as Aomine made a foul down on the court as he crashed into Kasamatsu, sending the Kaijo captain down to the ground. _'It is his steadfast admiration and respect for all of us that is stunting his growth, his admiration for Daiki especially. Along with his thinking that he is the weakest out of the entire team, and could never beat us. Besides, I think I know what Kise-kun and Kaijo are planning now.'_ The teal haired girl glanced at Kise. _'A risky move. But the Generation of Miracles would never have gotten to where we are if we aren't risk takers in the first place.'_

* * *

"You've really done it now, sempai." Aomine said sarcastically even as he helped Kasamatsu to his feet.

"What?" Kasamatsu frowned at Aomine. "You just hit a guy. What's with that attitude, first year brat?" He scoffed, walking away from the smirking Touou ace.

Meanwhile, Hayakawa was a little too excited. "That's our captain!" He cheered even as he tried to leap onto Kasamatsu. "Nice…"

"Shut up!" A very annoyed Kasamatsu retorted, pushing Hayakawa away from him.

"But this is making me nervous." Moriyama admitted. "Can we really do this?"

Kasamatsu was silent for a moment. Everyone on Kaijo, the coach included, was concerned about the high risk that Kise is taking upon himself by attempting such a reckless plan. But as it stands, they don't have much choice. It is the only plan that they've got in order to counter Aomine.

"It's not a matter of can or can't!" Kasamatsu said at last, turning to face Moriyama with determined eyes. "We're going to do it! Believe in our ace!"

After all, if they don't believe in Kise, who are they going to believe in?

Moriyama smirked. "That's right."

* * *

"His limit?" The entire Seirin team echoed.

Tamaki nodded, not taking her eyes off of Kise and Aomine, a small frown on her face. "We've played against Kaijo once, so I'm sure that you knew how Kise-kun's style functions, and how he plays," she reasoned, and everyone nodded. The practice match that Seirin had with Kaijo is still fresh in the minds of the players. "But even there are some things that Kise-kun can't copy." She has a small smile on her face at that. "The plays and movements of the Generation of Miracles themselves. Aomine-kun especially. He can copy our normal plays. But when it comes to specialised moves like Midorima-kun's long distance shooting or even my Mirage play, Kise-kun can't copy it. But for Aomine-kun, it is more like Kise-kun _won't _copy it. Because he idolised and respects him too much."

"But that's strange, isn't it? If he won't copy it, won't Kaijo lose at this rate?" Kawahara voiced out the thought currently on everyone's minds.

Tamaki nodded. "That's why to defeat Touou and Aomine-kun, there is only one thing that Kise-kun can do right now for his team," she said, a glint entering her eyes.

Kagami's eyes widened when he suddenly understood what Tamaki is trying to say. "It can't be…!" he gasped.

Tamaki nodded. "It's probably exactly what you're thinking," she said. "Kise-kun is trying to copy Aomine-kun's style." She said, much to Seirin's shock. "Not just a single move alone. But the entire style."

"Can he do that?" Hyuuga gaped, turning around in his seat to judge Tamaki's expression, though it isn't like the teal haired girl expressed much to begin with.

Tamaki pondered on this question for a few moments. "In the first place, Kise-kun can only copy what he can do," she said, choosing her words carefully so that she won't give too much away. Like Kise, Midorima, Aomine and all her former teammates, Tamaki wouldn't speak of her former teammates and their abilities unless she has no other choice. It might just be a Generation of Miracles thing that none of their current teams had understood to this day. "He _cannot_ copy anything that he can't do." She told Seirin, much to their confusion.

Koganei was confused. "What?" he croaked.

All of Seirin was staring at their sole female player by this point, with half of the players practically having question marks above their heads with Tamaki's last comment. Riko was the only one who understood what Tamaki had meant. "To put it simply, he's just a fast learner." The brunette coach explained for her players' benefit when it looks like Tamaki won't elaborate on it further. "He can't recreate the movements of NBA players or anyone better than himself."

Tamaki nodded slowly. "That's why Kise-kun…can't copy the specialised moves of the Generation of Miracles," she said slowly. _'Maybe in the future, he could though.'_ "For example, while it is humanely possible for him to copy Midorima-kun's long distance shooting, he needs to have the knowledge and ability to gauge the distance for the shoot to go in successfully. And he can't copy my Mirage since the speed is way too much for his body to handle."

"But if he's trying to do something, it means he believes he can do it." Kiyoshi remarked.

**XXXXXX**

The second quarter ended with a game count of 34-43, with Touou in the lead.

Currently, both teams are gathered in their individual locker rooms for a last minute briefing during the ten minute intermission before the second half of the match. Kaijo especially was worried, especially with Touou currently in the lead with a nine point lead.

"Nine points, huh?" Kasamatsu sighed. "And that last shot hurt as well." He grumbled, recalling how that 'evil glasses guy' from Touou scored a buzzer beater during the second quarter.

Hayakawa clutched at his hair. "Damn it! If only I had gotten the rebound!" he complained…loudly.

Moriyama sighed, quenching his thirst from his tumbler. "Rebounds don't matter once it goes in, you idiot," he said bluntly.

Kasamatsu ignored the antics of his team and turned towards Kise who is sitting on the bench in a corner, apparently in deep thought. Out of the entire team, Kise is the one who is pushed nearly beyond his limit, especially since he is attempting something that is supposed to be impossible for him.

"Kise, how much longer will it take?" Kasamatsu asked the blonde.

Kise didn't answer for several moments, an unnaturally serious look in his eyes – a look that he only had on during a match. "At the earliest, the second half of the third quarter," he said. The blonde then looked worried for a moment. "If I mess up, it might take until the fourth quarter."

Kaijo looked concerned for a moment at that. Kise then stood up from his seat.

"Sorry, but can I go outside for a bit?" he asked Kasamatsu.

The Kaijo captain nodded, understanding his junior's need to get some fresh air, and to also clear his head. "Okay. But come back soon."

Kobori frowned even as the door closed behind Kise. "Basically, we have to play the entire third quarter without Kise," he concluded, and Moriyama who is next to him looked worried.

Even Kaijo had heard of just how Seirin had fared against Touou during the Inter High preliminaries. Kise was present at the match after all, and he had told his team what had transpired during that match. Not the exact details of it, but enough so that Kaijo understood just how powerful Touou is, and just what they might be up against.

If Kaijo played against Touou _without _Kise, even if it is just one quarter, there is a chance that they might not be able to make a comeback once Kise enters the game. It'll probably be a repeat of the Seirin versus Touou match during the Inter High preliminaries.

Kasamatsu frowned deeply to himself, the gears in his mind running overtime. _'We can't do that against Touou,'_ he decided. He then let out a huff. _'No. We'll do it! It's all up to you then, Kise.'_

**XXXXXX**

'_Copy Daiki, huh?'_ Tamaki mused to herself even as she stepped out for some fresh air, especially after Aoi decided to make his discomfort by being cooped up in a gym occupied by hundreds of people known to Tamaki. _'I know what I'd just said, but it won't be easy to copy Daiki's style. Most of us have problems playing him, let alone trying to beat him. To copy his style is going to take more than just simple observation and hard work. You have to really know his play style and manner of thinking inside out. But if it's Kise-kun…'_

Aoi's whining broke Tamaki out of her thoughts just then, and she looked down at her puppy who is currently in her arms so that he wouldn't get too excited and run about, and somehow get himself lost in the sea of people.

"What's wrong?" Tamaki asked her puppy, and Aoi whined again. The teal haired girl followed the puppy's gaze only to spot a familiar looking blonde just in front of her, leaning against the railings, with the gentle breeze tousling his hair gently. "Oh."

Kise turned around at the sound of Tamaki's voice, and his eyes widened when he saw the teal haired girl standing just behind him, with a small husky nestled within her arms, tail wagging happily. The blonde's eyes widened comically at the sight of the puppy with similar looking eyes to the teal haired girl.

"Hello." Tamaki nodded to Kise politely.

"Tamacchi?" Kise almost screeched. "What's with the dog?"

Aoi barked happily. "I kept him in my bag while I was watching, so I thought I would let him get some fresh air during the break." Tamaki explained to a confused Kise.

Kise bent down to get a closer view of the adorable little puppy. "There's plenty I could say about that." The blonde said at last. "So what are you doing here?"

"We were training nearby until yesterday, so we decided to come watch the Inter High together." Tamaki explained.

"So you didn't come to cheer me on." Kise whined in disappointment. He was silent for several moments. "By the way…" Tamaki cocked her head to one side in question. "Between Aominecchi and me, who do you think will win?"

Tamaki was silent for several moments, unsure as to how to answer this question when she don't even know the answer herself. "I don't know," she said at last. "But…" She looked at the blonde. "Kise-kun, do you remember what I'd told you once about Daiki during our second year?"

Kise looked confused for a moment before he remembered the conversation that Tamaki was talking about, and he sighed. "Yeah. I do."

"_Do you know why Aomine-kun is the ace of Teiko? That's because he's the strongest. He doesn't lose."_

"Daiki is strong." Tamaki admitted. "No one can deny this. He is our ace because he is the strongest. The ace is the player that the team relies on during a critical moment. The ace is the player that will help the team to turn the tide in their favour." Kise's eyes widened a slight fraction. "Daiki is strong without a doubt. Everyone knows this. But I believe that as long as you don't give up, anything could happen. And I don't think that either of you will give up too. If there is one thing that all of us back at Teiko had in common aside from the hatred of losing, it is that all of us are bad at giving up." Kise grinned at that. "That's why I don't think that it would be strange if either of you won." Tamaki told Kise.

Kise was silent for a long time. "Tamacchi…really believes in Aominecchi, huh?" he said with a small sad smile. "Back during Seirin's match with Touou… At that time, I was relieved that you didn't _have_ to play against Aominecchi. That is a match when there could only be one victor between both of you. But it's really not fair." He whined. "I really want to play with you in high school. But you chose Seirin and Kagamicchi instead. It's not that I resent your choice or anything, but…" He trailed off.

"I'm sorry." Tamaki sighed.

Kise sighed. "I should go back soon," he said. "But Tamacchi, if I could just have one thing?" Tamaki nodded. "A hug." The blonde enveloped Tamaki in a hug. Not one of those that Kise usually gave Tamaki on a daily basis back in Teiko. But one more of…love. The blonde took in a deep whiff of the shampoo that Tamaki uses for her hair. As always, it smells of lilac. "It's not fair. I could have any girl that I ever wanted, but I just had to go and fall for the one person whom I couldn't have." Kise smiled into Tamaki's neck.

One of the reasons why Aomine never liked Kise being so 'touchy feely' with Tamaki is because he _knew_ that Kise likes Tamaki in a more than friendly manner. But the tanned teen trusted Tamaki and Kise, and he believes that they both knew their own limits in what they can and can't do. And if there's one thing that all the Generation of Miracles had, it is a sense of honour.

Just like how Tamaki wouldn't do anything to betray Daiki and her own conscience, Kise would never dream of doing anything to hurt Aomine _and_ Tamaki. He had better honour than that.

"I'm sorry." Tamaki apologised even as Kise drew back from her.

Kise smiled. "It's okay. I kind of got over it months ago," he said. "I'll go and do my best then." He said cheerfully. Kise then fell silent for several moments. "I guess I can understand now why Tamacchi chose Seirin. Back in middle school, it was natural for us to win, but…" He trailed off slowly. "I feel better now not knowing if I'll win." He said.

Tamaki smiled a soft smile at Kise, and Aoi barked from within her arms. "Kise-kun, I'll impart one last lesson to you as your former instructor," she said, and Kise turned towards the teal haired girl with curiosity. "The power to believe in yourself, Kise-kun, is the power to change your fate." Kise blinked in confusion. "Never forget that."

* * *

_A/N: I guess it's a shorter than usual chapter, and not to mention **later. **Anyway, next chapter will probably be the last for the Kaijo versus Touou match, and I'll then be moving onto the new arc that I've mentioned about. The 'Days of Teiko' arc._

_I hope that you guys like this chapter, and please read and review!_


	23. I Got the Chills

Damn, this must be my most popular story of late, and also my favourite to write! A big thank you to everyone who had reviewed or placed this story on their favourites or story alerts' list. When I'd first started this story, I wasn't expecting it to get as many hits as it did, as this fandom is still pretty new. Thus, I was pleasantly surprised to see the response that this story had gotten.

To answer a few questions from some reviewers, _doujinshi_ actually means fan comics that fans of anime or manga have drawn for their favourite anime/manga. Kind of like the visual version of fanfiction.

Also, I _do_ have a favour to ask of my readers, if it isn't too much to ask for. If any of you who are reading this had visited my Wattpad account and added yourself as a fan, then I would like to say thank you. However, would you mind terribly if you can drop off a comment or two on the stories there? Particularly on my new story, _Hunted. _I would like some feedback on the stories there so that I'll know how to improve. Thank you. You can find the link to my Wattpad account on my profile page.

_About Kise:_ Yes, I feel you. I know how you feel about Kise, since I kind of feel sorry for him too. But I've seen some stories in which the writers actually portray Kise as the evil villain trying to break apart Aomine and Kuroko when he is in love with one of them. If you've followed my other stories, then you guys should know that I'm not in the habit of character bashing. In fact, I try to never bash characters if at all possible. So about his pairing, I'm not sure, but it'll most probably be Momoi, though I'm not sure if this pairing actually works out in this story.

_Tamaki and Aomine:_ I guess that many of you are eagerly waiting for the hot springs scene when both Seirin and Touou finds out about Aomine and Tamaki's relationship. Sorry guys, but I'm afraid I must burst your bubble for that, since the hot springs scene won't be until a few chapters from now, as I'm including a new story arc right after the Kaijo versus Touou match.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Two: I Got the Chills**

"_There is nothing that a winner can say to console a loser." - Aomine Daiki_

**XXXXXX**

The second half is getting underway, with the match being much more intense as compared to the first half. Kaijo's concentration was at an all time high, and Touou seems to be having problems even defending, with just how fierce that the Kaijo players are attacking.

Clearly, Kaijo is determined to attack with everything that they've got throughout the third quarter, buying Kise enough time to complete his copying of Aomine's style.

Unlike Seirin whose playing style mainly focuses on a run-and-gun style, Kaijo focuses on offense and defense.

In other words, they're a well-balanced team that utilises both offence and defence in their play style. However, this time around, there is none of that defense in Kaijo's style. They're going all out on offense. Clearly, their plan is to push Touou far enough so that they wouldn't be able to focus on Kise who is clearly the lynchpin of Kaijo's play.

Imayoshi immediately threw the ball to a waiting Sakurai after Kasamatsu immediately moved to guard him. The Kaijo captain had a look of intense concentration on his face, as is all his other teammates. Moriyama was almost immediately on Sakurai the moment that he touches the ball, much to the dismay of the usually meek Touou's Shooting Guard.

'_There's even more pressure now than in the first half!'_ Sakurai thought in dismay. _'The intensity's amazing!'_

The Shooting Guard was so focused on Moriyama that he didn't even notice Kasamatsu behind him until the ball had left his hands – being knocked out of his hands by the Kaijo captain.

* * *

Within the stands where Seirin is sitting, Izuki chuckled to himself, causing his teammates to give him curious looks.

"Now, why does this seem familiar to me?" The Point Guard grinned at Tamaki and Kagami both who are sitting behind him. "How many times have I seen you both using this technique? Looks like Kaijo had taken some pointers from you both."

* * *

Kise is currently in possession of the ball after having broken free from Aomine's guard. The Touou captain however was quick to guard the blonde. The blonde seems rather dazed however, and was murmuring incoherently to himself, much to Imayoshi's confusion.

"Right to left crossover…" Imayoshi froze in shock as Kise tilted the ball over Imayoshi's right shoulder whilst the blonde himself moved in the opposite direction of the ball. All of a sudden, he grabbed the ball before Imayoshi can even recover from his shock.

* * *

In the stands, Tamaki seems to have frozen. Kagami who was next to the teal haired girl was staring at her in concern.

"Oi Tamaki, are you all right?" The redhead asked, nudging his partner in the side with his elbow gently.

Tamaki didn't respond. She currently had her eyes fixated on the match below her, her eyes wide, shock and surprise reflected in it. _'That's Daiki's…'_ she gulped before she smiled. _'Looks like Touou is going to have some problems now.'_

* * *

The referee blew on his whistle sharply as Imayoshi pushed against Kise by mistake, much to the Touou captain's annoyance.

"Foul, holding! Black No. 4!" The referee shouted.

* * *

Both the Seirin and Touou teams were in a similar state of shock, but Tamaki had a small miniscule smile on her face.

"Looks like it's still too soon to declare a result for the match." Tamaki commented. "It's not over yet."

* * *

Momoi was in a state of shock, staring at Kise in disbelief, almost as if she can't believe her eyes. Tamaki's words about Kise back during their second year of Teiko rose to the surface of her mind almost immediately.

"_It's probably as you've said, Satsuki." Tamaki commented even as she picked up the discarded basketballs lying around the court, tossing it into the basketball cage next to her. "Kise-kun might be the most inexperienced out of all of us, and maybe you might be right in saying that it's reckless to have him enter the first string regulars after just four months of training. But amongst us, he is also the one with the most potential." The teal haired girl looked at her best friend, a secret smile playing on her lips. "He might just be the bane of the Generation of Miracles themselves. Especially Aomine-kun. Nothing is more frustrating and psychologically damaging to an athlete than seeing someone copy and use their own move."_

'_Is this what you'd meant, Tamaki-chan?'_ Momoi thought in shock, staring at Kise. Nothing in her data could have ever prepared her for this. _'He's still incomplete and nothing compared to the real thing, but he's learning much faster than I'd expected!'_

* * *

Wakamatsu approached the unusually stiff Touou captain who seemed to have turned into a statue. "Nice foul, Cap—"

Imayoshi cut Wakamatsu off before the blonde Center could complete his sentence. "Wakamatsu, do you still remember the day that Aomine joined?" he asked seriously. There is a dark tone to Imayoshi's voice, and he seemed almost…afraid, much to Wakamatsu's confusion. "I thought he seemed promising, and at the same time, when I imagined playing against him, I got goosebumps." Imayoshi fell silent momentarily, recalling the first day of basketball practice when Momoi had dragged Aomine with her to the gym. He then chuckled darkly. "This isn't good. I've got goosebumps." He admitted.

* * *

'_Looks like the real battle starts now.'_ Tamaki thought, her hands placed beneath her chin. _'I didn't expect for Kise-kun to learn as fast as this. And then again, that just proves his resolve to win against Daiki. But…'_ The teal haired girl frowned as she followed the blonde down on the court with her eyes. _'How long can he keep this up?'_

**XXXXXX**

For the next couple of minutes, the tables were turned, as Touou is now the one struggling against Kise who used moves that Touou was used to seeing being used _on_ their opponents. Imayoshi's worse nightmare had just come true – it is like Touou is playing against a milder version of one Aomine Daiki.

No sane basketball player will want to play against the former ace of the Generation of Miracles. There are a number of reasons why that legendary team is thus dubbed as a 'monster team', and why several teams have actually given up on playing against them halfway in a match during their second and third years, especially if Aomine Daiki is out on the court.

Kise leapt towards the end of the court line and threw the ball towards the hoop.

Touou was immediately reminded of the move that Aomine had used against Kagami during the Seirin versus Touou match. Not to be deterred, Wakamatsu immediately leapt upwards, trying to stop Kise from scoring. Unfortunately, the blonde Center crashed into Kise, thus causing the referee to blow sharply on his whistle, calling out a foul.

"Pushing, Black No. 6! Free throw, two shots!"

* * *

"Kise's amazing!" Koganei commented in wonder, staring at the blonde teen in amazement. "He's just like Aomine!"

Riko was watching with a grim expression on her face however. "No, it's not perfect yet," she said. "Only doing it when people besides Aomine come to guard him proves it. He must still think he's off the mark."

"In other words, when Kise tries to go one-on-one with Aomine again, it will be once he's perfected his copy." Kiyoshi commented.

Tamaki nodded in silent agreement. However, unlike her teammates and even her coach, she is more concerned about one thing. _'How long can he keep this up?'_ she thought in worry, glancing at Kise. _'If there is one weakness about the Generation of Miracles, it is that we're all…too powerful. Like my Mirage, there is a time limit for the others when they're using their specialised moves. Especially when they go at full power.'_

Back in Teiko, Aomine actually has a time restraint on him when he is using some of his more reckless moves. Geniuses or not, it doesn't change the fact that all of them are still growing teens back then. Prolonging physical capabilities that might prove too much for them to handle could damage their bodies permanently.

'_But unlike Daiki, Kise-kun doesn't have the necessary training to be able to use the Formless Play for prolonged periods.'_ Tamaki thought worriedly. _'This match might just be a race. A race to see which team gives out first – Touou to Kise-kun's psychological copycat play, or Kise-kun's body by using the Formless Play.'_

**XXXXXX**

The entire court was deadly silent as they stared at a clearly pissed off Aomine Daiki who had just…thrown the ball into the basket without even bothering to use a form. Whether the current him hates basketball or not, not even Aomine would take it lying down if he got his style and moves copied.

"That was a shot? He's crazy!"

With Seirin, Tamaki sighed to herself, seeing the feral side of her boyfriend coming out. It is during times like this when the teal haired girl had harboured hope that the old Aomine Daiki is still in there somewhere, and all that she has to do is to just drag it out.

'_Looks like Daiki's pissed.'_ Tamaki thought to herself. _'This might be interesting.'_

"Don't drag your feet, Kise." Aomine almost growled at the shocked blonde down on the court, with both teams of Kaijo and Touou staring at the tanned player as if he is some kind of alien. "If you don't make it in time, it's over. I'm not patient enough to wait until you're ready."

* * *

Seirin is having an odd sense of déjà vu even as they sat within the stands watching the Kaijo versus Touou match. Was this how their match against Touou had gone during the first half when they were pressurised by Touou and Aomine like how Kaijo is now?

Both teams were clearly pressurised, and with the match being this intense, with the entire play revolving around the aces of both teams, neither team was backing down in the least.

Hyuuga was watching the match intently. _'They said they'd have faith in their ace and wait, but there's no such thing as a quick comeback in basketball.' _The Seirin captain thought in concern, glancing at the timer that had just hit five minutes. _'If the score and time remaining are too far gone by the time he perfects his copy, it's all over!'_

'_Their deadline is a fifteen point difference,'_ thought Tamaki. _'If it gets any further than that, it will be Touou's victory.'_

Down on the court, Kasamatsu who is currently in possession of the ball currently had a guard on him by the name of Imayoshi Shoichi who clearly is not about to let Kasamatsu break past him. Both captains are currently having an intense staring competition, and the look in Kasamatsu's eyes is enough to make anyone cringe, as the look in his eyes is one of _murder._

"He can't break through!" Hyuuga realised, watching the Kaijo captain trying to get past Imayoshi.

"They know what he's going to do!" Izuki noted.

Kasamatsu growled. He is not about to let this upstart of a captain beat him here! Taking a gamble, Kasamatsu jumped and took a shot towards the basket. He growled as he saw the ball falling short of the basket.

'_There's no way that'll go in!'_ Imayoshi realised. _'Rebound!'_

Kasamatsu grinned darkly. _'If I do this, your knowledge doesn't matter for shit. Besides…'_ His eyes flickered towards Hayakawa who is currently getting guarded by Wakamatsu, with both players currently just under the basket. _'No one's better at getting offensive rebounds than Hayakawa!'_

With a loud war cry, the Kaijo's Power Forward immediately leapt upwards and grabbed the ball before either Wakamatsu or Susa could get it. Several red ticks had covered Wakamatsu's head by now because of all the screaming that Hayakawa had been doing ever since the start of the match. Hayakawa then passed the ball quickly to Kobori who scored a two pointer quickly.

Kaijo were all clearly worn out, especially with all the offense that they've been doing throughout the third quarter. But it is obvious that none of them had any intention on giving up just yet. Imayoshi is currently in possession of the ball, and he quickly performed a quick tap pass towards the meek looking Touou Shooting Guard who is standing at the three point line, much to Kasamatsu's horror.

Sakurai might be no Midorima, but he is no slouch either. And if he gets a three pointer in at this point of time, they'll be down by fifteen points again!

Moriyama had already started moving the moment that Sakurai had gotten into position to score a three pointer. Kaijo's Shooting Guard actually had an advantage over Sakurai due to Moriyama's taller stature, and he quickly smacked the ball out of Sakurai's grasp, passing the ball quickly to Kasamatsu.

"He stopped him!"

"The point difference hasn't changed!" Tsuchida commented.

"Sempai…" Kise murmured down on the court, looking at Moriyama with an odd look in his eyes.

Is this what Tamaki had with her current team, the feeling of having your team guard your back? Back in Teiko, they never did team plays with each other. It is each man for himself, rather similar to Touou's play. And then again, Teiko _did_ do team plays with each other during their first two years. It is only during their third year when their play had started changing for unknown reasons.

"Just focus on your own job." Moriyama told Kise, unusually serious. The flirt is always on the look for some girl or another to impress, even during matches. The fact that Moriyama is focusing entirely on the match right now told Kise that they're currently in a bad situation. "In exchange, you can introduce me to girls if we win. I wouldn't mind a mixer." He added.

Kise nearly fell over his own feet at those words, sweat dropping. His senior just _had _to ruin such a serious moment with a comment like that? Kise might be a bit of a ladies' man, but even he is no Casanova!

"What are you talking about, Moriyama-san?" Hayakawa cried out in dismay whilst Kobori was watching Moriyama's antics with amusement.

Kise smiled to himself, finally understanding what Tamaki had meant with her words back then when she had spoken to him after the practice match that Kaijo had with Seirin. He finally understood what Tamaki had meant, and just what she had seen in Seirin to choose a new team like them as her chosen basketball team.

'_I get the feeling. I'm starting to understand what Tamacchi said.'_ Kise smiled to himself. _'Back then, and during Teiko…'_

"_What you should be concerned about is what you can do for the team." Tamaki told Kise._

'_Tamacchi's "team"… What I need to do for them… And what I need to do now.'_

"_The only one who can beat me is me alone."_

Up in the stands, Tamaki narrowed her eyes as Kise dropped slowly into an oddly familiar stance, swaying to and fro slowly, and a small smile appeared on her face. "He's completed it," she muttered. _'The real battle starts from here.'_

Down on the courts, everyone was staring at Kise who had dropped down into an oddly familiar looking stance, his bangs shadowing his eyes. Momoi was staring at Kise as if he is some sort of alien, and even Aomine who is currently guarding Kise had a look of shock on his face.

"What if that 'me' is who you're playing against?" Kise stated darkly.

Everyone in the court was silenced, shocked as Kise had finally achieved something which was originally thought to have been impossible. Touou was too shocked to even react as Kise finally began moving.

"I'm sick of waiting." Kasamatsu growled. "Go crush them!"

Kise dashed past Aomine in a burst of speed that is oddly familiar to Seirin, especially Kagami. After all, the redhead had faced this move back during the Seirin versus Touou match. Kagami practically had his mouth hanging opened, and Touou were all too stunned to even move.

"Kise finally broke past Aomine!"

Imayoshi gritted his teeth together. _'My bad feeling came true! I don't believe it. Those movements just now… They were Aomine's!'_

The reserve players on Kaijo's bench were cheering at the top of their lungs as Kise made a lunge for the basket, with Aomine close on his heels. The tanned player doesn't look amused or pleased in the least that he just got copied by Kise. Now he had a good idea of how all of Kise's past opponents have felt when they had their moves copied by the blonde.

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Kise!" Aomine roared, leaping into the air to stop Kise's dunk.

"_No!"_ Momoi screamed, standing up from her seat on the bench, already seeing what is going to happen should Aomine jump to stop Kise.

Too late.

The referee's whistle went off sharply even as Aomine bumped into Kise whilst in midair. The blonde doesn't seem deterred in the least even as he tossed the ball behind him whilst still in midair, and the ball went neatly into the basket.

Now, isn't that just like déjà vu?

"Defense, Black No. 5! Basket counts, one free throw!"

There were cheers from the audience.

"He made that shot?"

"When you're fouled while making a shot, the basket counts, and you're awarded one free throw. But more importantly…"

Tamaki frowned from her place next to Kagami, trying to tune out the audience's babble. _'…That was Daiki's fourth foul,'_ she thought with concern. _'Touou might be in some trouble now. But knowing him…'_ She glanced at her boyfriend down on the court who looked _pissed._ _'He won't care about it.'_

"He can't make anymore bold plays!" Hyuuga realised, realising the pinch that Touou is currently in.

Down on the court, Imayoshi's eyebrow was twitching madly. He hadn't been pushed this far in a match ever since second year. That Kise is really the bane of Aomine!

'_They got us. They had another trick up their sleeve.'_ The Touou captain thought furiously to himself, recalling when Kasamatsu had gotten knocked down to the ground by Aomine during the first half earlier, earning Aomine one foul.

"Who are you calling a bad guy?" Imayoshi called out to Kasamatsu even as the Kaijo captain walked past him. "You guys are way worse than me."

Kasamatsu smirked at Imayoshi. "Who said we weren't?" he challenged.

'_This is really tough.'_ Imayoshi thought nervously, wiping his sweat from his forehead. _'Not only has he perfected his copy, but our ace's power has been significantly reduced.'_

**XXXXXX**

The score is now at 51-60, with Touou in the lead. But for the first time in the entire match, things are looking up for Kaijo.

Tamaki glanced at the timer before turning her attention back to the match. _'There's still the fourth quarter, and even though Touou is still in the lead, things aren't looking good for them,'_ she thought. _'Back then, there is a reason why I'd taught Kise-kun this particular style, even though it is something that he excels in.'_

The Generation of Miracles excels in psychological play after all. Most of the tactics and plays that Tamaki had came up with often utilises psychological play. Midorima's three pointers play on psychological fears as well. Even Aomine's play style, and even Tamaki's own does. And that is not mentioning Akashi and Murasakibara. There are several reasons why Teiko is dubbed a monster team. And Kise's copycat ability is human psychology at it's finest. And Akashi and Tamaki are experts in that.

'_But Daiki isn't someone who would back down this easily even if he is awarded four fouls.'_ Tamaki thought, glancing at the court even as Aomine caught up to Kise easily, and knocked the ball out of his hands. _'I've said this before, but the Generation of Miracles… We don't give up that easily. Besides…'_ Tamaki looked at both Kise and Aomine on the court who were giving each other death glares.

The two have always been close, especially during second year, and the two boys, along with Tamaki and Momoi, have often hung out together. But the close friendship that Kise and Aomine have shared have almost deteriorated to nothing in third year when Aomine had hurt Tamaki after pulling away from her, and Kise got pissed.

That was one of the few times when the usually cheery blonde got angry. One of the other times was back during the incident at the Winter Cup during second year when Kise, like majority of the team, had blamed Aomine for Tamaki's injury.

'_If the match will just end like this, it'll be too easy.'_

**XXXXXX**

Seirin watched on in concern as the third quarter came to an end, with Touou currently in the lead with a nine point lead. Touou's coach, Harasawa Katsunori looked unusually serious, and even the players themselves looked concerned.

Well… _Most_ of them at least.

Tamaki sighed inwardly as she saw the blonde Touou Center looked close to bursting a blood vessel after Aomine had said something down on the bench.

Seriously, just where is the sense in antagonising your teammate? And given the fact that this is the team that Aomine will be playing in for the next three years, wouldn't it be better if he gets along with them at least? Now she understood why Momoi had nearly begged her on her hands and knees at Teiko's graduation ceremony to go with them to Touou. She is the only one that Aomine Daiki even listens to now.

"Touou is still in the lead, but right now, it is Kaijo who has the upper hand." Hyuuga noted, his arms crossed over his chest, leaning back into his chair. The Seirin captain was currently studying the electronic scoreboard, with the score reading 51-60 in Touou's favour.

Kagami frowned to himself before turning towards his partner. The teal haired girl was slightly hunched over her knees, her hands entwined together beneath her chin, studying both teams carefully with an unreadable expression in her eyes. "What do you think, Tamaki?" Kagami asked, and the rest of Seirin listened in with interest, interested to know just what their team's unofficial manager slash tactician thinks about this match.

Tamaki was silent for a long time before she let out a sigh. "Personally, while I agree that currently, Kaijo had the upper hand, how long can it really last?" she asked mysteriously, much to her team's confusion. "As for Touou, they can probably handle the rest of Kaijo, but despite Aomine-kun fouling four times, they _can't_ take him off the court right now."

"Because he is the only one who can handle Kise right now?" Kiyoshi questioned, and Tamaki nodded.

"This is a risky move that Touou is currently undertaking. And then again, basketball matches are always about taking risks anyway." Tamaki stated. "Whether Touou takes Aomine-kun off the court or he's kicked off the court, once he's gone from the game, it's over for them. But at the same time, Kaijo needs Kise to be on the court until the end if they wants to even have a chance at beating Touou."

The entire Seirin team fell silent at Tamaki's words. The teal haired girl glanced over at the Kaijo bench where Kise seems utterly drained and exhausted, and she isn't surprised in the least. Copying a member of the Generation of Miracles is bound to have some side effects for him, especially if the person whom he's trying to copy is one Aomine Daiki.

Right now, this match might just be a race against time – if Kise's body gives out on him first or if Aomine fouls just once more.

**XXXXXX**

"_Let the fourth quarter begin."_

"Touou hasn't changed their line up." Hyuuga noted in surprise, seeing the same five starters from earlier entering the court.

"Anyone would lose their edge with four fouls." Izuki commented. "Are they going to be all right?"

Down on the court, Aomine is going at full throttle, an unmistakably pissed expression on his face as he blew past all the Kaijo players that moved to guard him, and ended up in going against Kise. The tanned player is now using moves that Tamaki had only seen once – back during the Winter Cup finals of their second year when Aomine is facing Hanamiya Makoto in a one-on-one showdown.

Make no mistake, Aomine Daiki is _pissed._

"He scored!" Koganei spluttered, as Aomine scored with his body parallel to the ground. This particular form had been one of Aomine's trademark moves for his Formless Play – one that no one had been able to counter.

'_Not only has he not changed with four fouls, but he's even more amazing.'_ Kasamatsu thought to himself in irritation. _'What incredible focus.'_

'_If there is one thing that Daiki is good at during matches apart from his own unparallel skill, it is his concentration in the midst of a game.'_ Tamaki thought. _'Like the rest of us, the further that we are pushed, the better and stronger that we get. And the better that our concentration will be.'_

Like the time during the Kaijo versus Seirin practice match when Kise actually became much stronger all of a sudden. Rather similar to Hyuuga, the Generation of Miracles all tends to get stronger the further that you push them. It's just that of late, there are few players in recent years to be able to push them beyond their limit.

'_He really is a monster.'_ Takeuchi Genta mused on Kaijo's bench. _'The ace of the Generation of Miracles, Aomine Daiki.'_

What followed for the next few minutes is a series of copy plays by Kise who is living up to his name as the copycat player. Whatever move that Aomine used, Kise is sure to use it right after him. It came to such a point that it almost makes one feel as if there are _two_ Aomine Daikis on the court.

"Uh oh…" Tamaki muttered to herself in concern as she saw Kise stumble slightly on the court. It is such a subtle action that it probably wouldn't be as obvious to anyone, but only to someone with sharp eyes. _'Looks like all that copying is taking its toll on Kise-kun's body.' _She thought with concern, even as the ball rolled around the rim before entering the basket, thus making the score 98-106 with Touou in the lead, and with still about three minutes to go before the end of the match. _'But if Kaijo takes him out of the game right now, they'll be back to square one. And…' _The teal haired girl looked at the remaining Kaijo players who were all panting on the court. Clearly, this match must be taking its toll on them as well. Both emotionally as well as physically.

"That must be tough." Riko commented. "I've never seen such static flow in a game before. The inside players must be really worn down mentally."

"It's especially tough on Kise and Kaijo." Hyuuga agreed. "They've been stuck eight to ten points behind forever. But even with the clock ticking, they still haven't given up."

* * *

It isn't just Kaijo that are exhausted. Touou is too.

Imayoshi who is currently in possession of the ball suddenly can't wait for the match to end. And if the looks on the faces of the other players on the court are of any indication, they are as much of the same mindset as Imayoshi. Kasamatsu who is currently facing down Imayoshi had an almost furious look on his face, still not willing to give up despite the fact that he looks ready to collapse.

Kise was panting and breathing heavily as he faced down Aomine.

'_I'll admit he's good, but I won't let my guard down until the end.'_ Aomine thought to himself calculatingly. _'As long as he had those eyes, there's no telling what will happen…'_ He smirked to himself as he could almost see an image of a certain teal haired girl overlapping Kise. _'As long as he has the same eyes as Tamaki!'_

"The balance is now even." Tamaki noted. "Whichever team breaks the balance first will be the team that will have the upper hand."

Kaijo got their chance as Sakurai fumbled with the ball, missing it entirely, and Kise immediately took that chance to grab the ball, dashing down the court. It is like this one action alone is enough to wake the players and coaches of both teams up, as there are sudden loud cheers and orders from both benches.

"One minute left." Hyuuga muttered nervously. Watching this match is really _not_ good for his heart.

"This is where the game will be decided." Kiyoshi stated. "If they make this shot, they'll only be two threes behind. It'll boost the team's morale. But if they miss, they'll have reached their time limit. In other words, practically speaking… It's their last chance!" He concluded.

Down on the court, the aces of both teams are currently stuck in a one-on-one with each other, and Kagami practically had his heart in his mouth, wondering just which direction Kise would move towards.

It is his last chance after all.

Meanwhile, Tamaki is as much of the same mindset as her partner, her eyes practically glued to the match, not even reacting to Aoi leaping into her lap and snuggling himself by her side, the puppy suddenly deciding that he wanted to cuddle against Tamaki.

'_Right? Or left?'_ Tamaki wondered, her eyes flickering to Aomine and to Kise, and back again. _'Both of them knew each other so well that it's kind of difficult to tell at this point. But __**because**__ they knew each other so well, it is kind of pointless at this point of time for either of them to try to read each other. Besides, copying or not, Kise-kun's personality isn't like Daiki's.'_ Tamaki mused, knowing her former student well. She watched as Kise leapt upwards, taking a form for a Formless Shot. _'So rather than going for a shot himself like what Daiki __**would**__ do, he will be sure to…'_

Not to be deterred, Aomine leapt upwards as well, determined to stop Kise at all costs, much to Kaijo's dismay and shock. The players of both teams were practically rooted to their individual positions on the court, watching the individual aces of their teams with bated breaths.

'_He's fast! He's going to stop him!'_ Moriyama thought in dismay.

Kise immediately moved his hand down instead of going for a shoot, moving to pass the ball to Kasamatsu who was just behind him. But before the ball can even leave Kise's hands, Aomine moved quickly, smacking the ball out of Kise's grasp.

"He stopped him?" Koganei spluttered.

"They lost their only chance." Kiyoshi concluded. His unspoken words were hanging in the air, but he didn't need to say it for his team to get what he is trying to say. _Kaijo has lost this game._

The two teams down on the court were staring in shock, especially Katsunori and Momoi, and even the players of Touou. All of them were staring at Aomine as if he had just grown two new heads, even as the tanned player glared at Kise, panting and breathing heavily, sounding as if he is ready to collapse.

'_No one can react fast enough to do that.'_ Wakamatsu thought in shock. _'Did he know what he was going to do? But…'_

"Did Aomine know what Kise is going to do?" Kagami spluttered. "No normal person could have reacted fast enough to stop that!"

As if on cue, all Seirin players turned towards Tamaki for their answer. The teal haired girl looked rather annoyed at the sudden attention on her person, but she answered their unasked question anyway.

"While it is true that Kise-kun knows Aomine-kun well, the opposite works as well," said Tamaki. "While Kise-kun can copy Aomine-kun's style, their personalities are entirely different. Like us, Kaijo utilises team play as well. They were trained to work as a team, trained to depend on each other. But Touou is different. Aomine-kun is different from Kise-kun. If Aomine-kun thinks from Kise-kun's point of view, he will _know_ what he's going to do. It isn't that difficult to figure out. After all, we played in the same team as him for two years." Tamaki added.

Meanwhile, down on the court, Kise is in a state of shock. Kaijo had just lost whatever chance that they had at winning the match.

"You've done pretty well up until now, but in the very end, you finally made a mistake." Aomine scoffed. "If it had been a one-on-one, you may have had a chance to win." He told Kise. "You faked by looking one way and looked at Kasamatsu on your right. But in that position, I wouldn't fake with my eyes." He declared. "At first glance, a pass seems like the most surprising move, but it's also something I would never do, and the most easily predicted move." _'Unless you're Tamaki, that is.'_ Aomine mused to himself, knowing that his girlfriend's passing abilities is way over the norm. Even before that incident back in second year, like the rest of the team, she had never been a normal player. The tanned teen then walked past a shocked Kise. "My style of basketball isn't designed to rely on my teammates." He told Kise coldly.

Up in the stands, Tamaki felt a stab of hurt at Aomine's words. _'Is there really no way to bring the old Daiki back?'_ she thought sadly. _'But this match…'_ She glanced at the shocked Kise on the court. _'I know what I'd said before – that as long as they don't give up, the match isn't over yet. But with what had happened… Kaijo had missed their only chance. If they still wish to achieve victory, they're going to have to go all out from here, and hope that none of their shots would get blocked. They don't have time.'_

The last few minutes of the fourth quarter soon became a repeat of the third quarter when Kaijo attacked aggressively, with Touou guarding all that they could. It is like the practice match between Kaijo and Seirin all over again. If one team attacks _too_ aggressively, there isn't much that the other team can do in order to stop them. And then again, Touou isn't just guarding either. They're also taking every chance that they could in order to score.

'_I couldn't have made it this far by myself! It's still too soon to give up!'_ Kise thought furiously as he stopped the ball that Aomine was going to dunk in, much to the tanned player's shock. "I don't mind if we lose, but I can't be the only one to give up! If there's any reason I lost, it's simply that I wasn't strong enough yet!" He shouted.

"_While teamwork and data plays a big role in matches, there are times when data and strength goes beyond data. And Aomine-kun's play is one of those times." Tamaki told Kise._

Aomine smirked at Kise. "Don't state the obvious," he grinned darkly at Kise before slamming the ball down into the basket. Kise lost balance and fell to the court at the same time as Aomine landed back onto the court with both feet.

The final whistle blew just then, with the final score at 98-110.

It is Touou's victory.

"Match over!" The referee announced amidst the loud cheers of the audience. "Both teams, line up!"

Still on the ground, Kise attempted to get to his feet.

From earlier, his legs are already giving him trouble. That is the price that he has to pay for copying moves that is too much for him to handle. When Tamaki had started training him during second year, she had warned him specifically that under no means must he copy moves or styles that might prove too much for his body to handle. It can damage his body permanently.

Kise's eyes widened as a sharp stabbing pain shot through the calves on both legs, and he fell back onto the ground. The rest of Kaijo turned around as Kise fell back onto the court, their faces one of shock.

'_He's feeling it in his legs.'_ Moriyama realised in concern, suddenly realising that Kise must have pushed his body beyond his limit in order to help the team. He tends to forget it at times, but no matter what, Kise is still only sixteen, just a freshman in high school. Still a _teenager. 'Does copying the Generation of Miracles put exceptional strain on him?'_ He wondered.

Kise smashed his fist into the ground of the court, his body shaking, trying to stop his tears from coming, but to no avail. Not too far away, Aomine watched Kise without saying anything.

Their time in Teiko had taught the Generation of Miracles lots of things, not all of them good. But if it's one thing that their old coach had taught them and which every single one of them had remembered to this day, it is that no matter the situation, you do not say or do anything to console a person whom you'd just beaten. It will only make them feel worse.

Besides, the Generation of Miracles had high pride. They would never accept pity from someone else.

A hand entered Kise's vision just then, and the blonde looked up only to see a solemn Kasamatsu standing in front of him, one hand stretched out towards Kise. "Can you stand?" The Kaijo captain asked. "Hang in there a little longer."

"Sempai, I…" Kise's voice cracked just then. The fact that his voice was shaking told tales of just how close that he is to crying.

Kasamatsu stepped forwards, and helped Kise to his feet, slinging one arm around his shoulders as he supported Kise to where the two teams of Touou and Kaijo were standing for the after match greeting.

"You did well." Kasamatsu comforted Kise, patting the blonde on the head tenderly like how a father would treat his child, with the rest of their team watching. "Besides, it's not all over yet. You can pay him back this winter." He told the blonde.

Up in the stands, Tamaki watched her two former teammates with an unreadable expression in her eyes. The teal haired girl stood up slowly, and the rest of her team watched her with surprise. "There is nothing more for us to do here, is there?" she asked a surprised Riko. "Let's go."

"Shouldn't you see Kise?" Koganei asked in surprise. "Isn't he your former teammate? Shouldn't you say something to him?"

Tamaki was silent for several moments, and when she spoke again, Koganei wished that he had just stayed silent.

"Don't joke around with me," she said. Her voice sounds the same as usual, but everyone could tell that Tamaki isn't in the right mood. If anything, she sounds _pissed. _"If there's one thing that Teiko had taught me, it is that there is nothing that one can say to console a loser." Tamaki looked at the two teams down on the court with the referee announcing the final score. "Nothing at all."

"But that game was really close, wasn't it?" Kagami tried to steer the conversation into less dangerous waters, watching as the two teams leave for their individual locker rooms. "Even that Aomine seemed to have given everything that he had." He commented.

"Is that so?" Tamaki glanced at her partner. "You're naïve if you thought that that is all that Aomine-kun is capable of. He is the ace of the Generation of Miracles for a reason." She told Kagami. _'Besides, that wasn't all that Daiki is capable of,'_ she thought darkly. _'Up to now, he hasn't shown everything that he is capable of yet. He has one more level that he can go to.'_ She mused, remembering that one time during second year when Aomine had shown her that 'hidden level'. _'The fact that he didn't use it against Kise-kun this time might mean that there is still the old Daiki inside him somewhere.'_

Seirin fell silent for a long time, all of them lost in their own thoughts after watching the Kaijo versus Touou match – a match that has two starting members of the Generation of Miracles going against each other.

'_It is affirmed.'_ Kagami thought to himself. _'This is the Generation of Miracles. We'll play against them once more in winter. Can we beat them?'_

'_No. We will win.' _Hyuuga thought, determined.

'_That said, the difference between us is still too great.' _Kiyoshi mused, remembering just how his own middle school team had faired against the legendary basketball team two years ago. Sure, they have a member of that legendary team with them right now, and their tactician and vice captain to boot, but still… _'We'll have to become stronger.'_

**XXXXXX**

'_This winter will be one tough battle.'_ Tamaki mused to herself even as she walked with the rest of her team down the hallways of the gymnasium, all prepared to head back. _'But…'_ She glanced at her left hand.

In her bag, Aoi whined in discomfort, and Riko turned towards the teal haired girl. "You can probably let him out now." Riko told her.

"I guess so." Tamaki mused, knowing how uncomfortable that her puppy feels about riding in her bag.

That's why Aoi usually prefers to be carried in her arms, or even riding in the hood of her hoodie, or even in the front of her jacket. The teal haired girl then bent down to let a _very_ relieved Aoi out from her bag, completely missing seeing a certain purple haired giant walking past her, munching on a snack, his arms filled with snacks of all kinds.

"Huh? I feel like I've been here before." Murasakibara Atsushi mumbled to himself around the snack that he is currently munching on. "Where am I?" He mused, either ignoring or missing the startled looks that he is receiving from everyone whom he'd walked past.

'_He's huge.'_ Kagami thought to himself, startled, staring at the purple haired teen who is currently wearing a purple and white basketball jersey with the words 'Yosen' written on the back. _'If he's wearing a jersey, he must be a player. He must be at least two meters tall.'_

"I mean, I don't want to play basketball anyway." Murasakibara grumbled to himself. The only reason why he'd started playing in the first place is because he likes seeing a certain teal haired girl smile whenever he plays. And it also helps that he's good at basketball. "It's so tiring. I wonder if Hime-chin is here?" He mumbled. "Oh. This new flavour's pretty good." He mused, munching on the snack that he's eating.

Tamaki who is lifting Aoi out of her bag gently froze as the purple haired giant walked past her, and she turned around just in time to see his back disappear around a corner. The teal haired girl stayed frozen in place for a few moments, Aoi whining in her arms.

'_Atsushi-kun?'_ Tamaki wondered.

"What are you doing?" Hyuuga called out to Tamaki. "We'll leave you behind."

"What's wrong?" Kagami asked curiously, remaining behind with Tamaki even as the rest of their teammates moved on ahead.

"Nothing." Tamaki answered even as she got to her feet, Aoi in her arms. She glanced in the direction that a certain purple haired giant had disappeared to. "I just forgot to greet someone."

* * *

"Everyone's here." Hyuuga announced the moment that the Seirin team were all gathered outside the gymnasium, relieved to be able to stretch their limbs after having been cooped up in the gymnasium for nearly an hour. The Seirin captain then looked left and right, but failed to see a certain freshman, and he sighed. Did she disappear _again?_ That girl really needs a leash on her!

"Um…" Kawahara Koichi approached Hyuuga nervously.

"Yes, it's Tamaki, isn't it?" Hyuuga grumbled.

"No, actually…"

* * *

At a nearby street basketball court not too far away from the Tokyo Metropolitan Gymnasium, Aoi was hanging his tongue out happily, tail wagging, as he watched his owner stand in front of the basketball hoop with a basketball clutched in her hands.

Kuroko Tamaki took aim at the hoop, but as usual, the ball bounced against the rim of the hoop, and bounced back onto the floor. The teal haired girl looked disappointed.

"You still suck at everything besides passing." A voice commented, and Tamaki turned only to see her redhead partner behind her.

"How did you know I was here?" she asked tiredly. Kagami tends to have a habit of following Tamaki everywhere she goes if she happens to be alone. Especially after team training.

"Just a feeling." Kagami shrugged. "Besides, I'm kind of feeling heated up after watching that match." He admitted.

"Their play has the power to do that to people." Tamaki admitted, picking up the ball. "It's always been that way."

Kagami was silent for several moments, recalling the conversation that he remembered Kise having with Tamaki so long ago. "Hey. What are the rest of the Generation of Miracles like?" he asked curiously. If he is right, there should still be two members left of that legendary team that he hadn't met.

Tamaki was silent for several moments. "If you're talking about basketball skills, I only know what I do when we were still in middle school," she told him. "Before we're a basketball team, we were all friends first and foremost." At least before everything had changed in third year. "Kise-kun. Midorima-kun. And Aomine-kun. They have all made significant improvements. And I'm sure that the other two have done the same, knowing them." Tamaki looked in the distance as if seeing something fascinating there before turning her attention back to Kagami. "Murasakibara Atsushi. And Akashi Seijuro."

Kagami was silent for several moments, finally learning of the names of the last two members of the Generation of Miracles. "Murasakibara… Akashi…" The redhead tested their names on his tongue.

"I hadn't seen them in action ever since graduation from middle school." Tamaki picked her words carefully. She _had_ seen them a few times _after_ graduation, but she _hadn't_ seen them on the court after graduation. "Not even I can imagine what they are like now."

Especially her cousin. Knowing him, he must have made significant improvements. Aomine might be the ace of the Generation of Miracles, but Akashi's power makes Aomine's looks insignificant.

"I was thinking…" Kagami said, looking at Tamaki curiously. "What were the Generation of Miracles like when you'd just formed? I remember what you'd told Kise back then." He added.

Tamaki sighed. "So you _did_ hear us after all," she stated, and Kagami blushed. She was silent for several moments, remembering their third year, and just how the team had fallen apart. "You have no idea how many times that I'd wished I can just turn back time – to go back to the past. But I couldn't. How could I, when I'm the cause of their change?" She dribbled the ball on the court. "There is _nothing_ that I could do." Tamaki admitted sadly.

"What happened back then?" Kagami asked curiously. Seeing Tamaki's look, he added hastily. "Look, if you don't want to talk about it, then it's fine. At least tell me how the Generation of Miracles had first formed. How did such a legendary team come into existence?"

Tamaki said nothing. "The Teiko Basketball Club isn't like Seirin, Kaijo, Touou or even Shutoku," she said at last. "Back then, we could rely on no one but ourselves. The team of five that would later be known as the Generation of Miracles was first formed on a street basketball court." She looked at Kagami. "Our basketball styles originated from the style of street ball."

"Is this what you'd meant back then? When you had spoken to Kise?" Kagami asked curiously, and Tamaki nodded.

"Somewhat," she said. "Back then, we have no one to rely on but ourselves. We became known in second year. There isn't a single team that doesn't know of us by that point of time. But that fame comes at a price. We faced several problems when building our team. The fact that the Generation of Miracles was dubbed as a monster team wasn't because of our power on the court alone. It is also because of what we did to force our upperclassmen to submission during our first year."

Tamaki didn't look at Kagami as she continued dribbling the ball on the court. "We had a bad name during our first year that lasted until the summer of our second year mainly because of a certain person. We're known to be ruthless and would take every chance to crush our opponents _because_ of him and what had happened during first year. Because unlike most teams, we had no one whom we could trust. No one whom we could rely on. Unlike now, back in Teiko, we had _no_ sempai to speak of. The Generation of Miracles are part of the Teiko Basketball Club, but we're a team on our own."

Kagami was silent. For some reason, Tamaki just makes it sound…so sad.

Tamaki looked at Kagami. "You said that you wanted to understand them. I think that you'd gotten through to Kise-kun and Midorima-kun after our matches with Kaijo and Shutoku. But to understand why they'd acted as they did back then, and why Aomine-kun had acted the way that he did, you have to understand what had happened during Teiko." Tamaki's eyes were almost like cold pieces of ice as she looked at Kagami, obviously remembering what had happened. "And trust me, it isn't a pleasant tale."

"Is it…that bad?" Kagami asked carefully.

"I wouldn't say 'bad' exactly…" Tamaki trailed off. "It's just…difficult for us to talk about. Especially for us who had been there when the basketball club was formed. I can't tell you everything, as what happens in Teiko stays in Teiko. It is our own secret. But I guess I can tell you why the team had changed the way they did in third year. I'll tell you." Tamaki told a stunned Kagami. "The story of the Generation of Miracles."

* * *

_A/N: Finally done! It took me two whole days just to finish writing this (though to be fair, I was doing this in between typing up my assignments!). Anyway, the next few chapters will most probably be an entirely new arc – the Days of Teiko arc. Also, regarding the new season 2 of the anime, does anyone have any idea just **when** it will start airing? I heard some rumours that it's in April, but does anyone know the **exact** date?_

_Anyway, I hope that you guys like this chapter, and please read and review!_


	24. Days of Teiko

So I've heard of one piece of good news from a friend of mine. Apparently, the new season 2 of the anime will be out in March! Yay! But I still have to wait for five months at least before it will be out. Damn. Anyway, sorry for the late update, but please do understand that I do have a life outside of writing, and I usually only update when I get ideas or inspiration.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Three: Days of Teiko**

"_If you were in Teiko with us, undoubtedly, you would have became one of us."_ _- Kuroko Tamaki_

**XXXXXX**

The two teammates headed to Maji Burger to continue their 'talk', especially since Kagami is complaining of being hungry. Half an hour later, both teammates have their own stash of food in front of them. A tray holding a packet of fries, a vanilla milkshake and a small burger was in front of Tamaki whilst a tray that is nearly overflowing with burgers was in front of Kagami.

The two ignored the astonished and bewildered looks that they got from the patrons and even the cashiers of Maji Burger as Kagami unwrapped one of the burgers on his pile. They were both used to the looks by now, especially with Kagami's monstrous appetite.

It was currently midday, and the streets outside Maji Burger were filled with people going about their daily lives. Tamaki looked out of the window for several moments even as she sipped on her milkshake.

"Back then…" Kagami who was about to say something was taken aback as Tamaki spoke first. The teal haired girl was looking straight at Kagami as she spoke, clear blue eyes dead serious. "The conversation that I had with Kise-kun after the practice match… How much did you overhear?"

Kagami was silent for several moments, wondering how to phrase it in such a way so that he wouldn't get punched or kicked, or worse, having an Ignite Pass dealt to the face during their next practice.

"Well… Enough." Kagami mumbled around his burger, suddenly finding his pile of burgers very interesting.

"I see." Tamaki sounded nonchalant. "It's like what I'd told you before. Me. Kise-kun. Aomine-kun. Midorima-kun. And even the other two. None of us started out as exceptional basketball players. Like everyone, we started out as ordinary players." Tamaki had a small smile on her lips as she remembered those carefree days. "Apart from Kise-kun, all of us in the Generation of Miracles have a history of basketball. I started playing from the age of five in the street basketball courts with my cousin. Even Midorima-kun started playing in elementary school. Aomine-kun grew up playing basketball from a very young age. Satsuki was his childhood friend, and she often accompanied him when he was playing, and developed her eye for strategies and analyzing just by watching him play. None of us started out as exceptional players. All of us started from the bottom of the ladder."

Tamaki looked out of the glass window, her chin propped up by her right hand. Kagami was silent, recalling the matches that he had with Kise, Midorima and then Aomine. Even the team trainings with Tamaki… It is almost difficult to believe that all of them were the same age as he is, with Tamaki almost an entire year younger than he is. It is almost like all of them were in a different universe.

"In some ways, it's almost like Fate is playing with us." Tamaki has a small smile on her lips as she turned to look at Kagami. "Do you remember what I've said before? That in some ways, you remind me of the Generation of Miracles." Kagami nodded slowly. "How all of us were in the same grade, in the same school, and were even in the same team. And then later on, all of us split to go to different teams, becoming enemies in the end. You have the same genius skill that all of them possesses. If you were in Teiko with us, undoubtedly, you would have became one of us." Tamaki told him, absentmindedly pondering on the outcome of her third year of middle school if Kagami had been in Teiko then. Would things still turn out the way that they did? Or would it be worse, as there will be no Kagami in Seirin to beat the sense back into her old teammates and friends?

"Well, I did think of it before." Kagami admitted, much to Tamaki's surprise. "I returned to Japan during my second year of middle school. The school that I attended has a basketball team, but it isn't a very strong one. We never get to progress to matches beyond the Inter High preliminaries. Hence why I'd never heard of the Generation of Miracles before now."

"In Teiko, we went through quite a bit." Tamaki admitted. "Especially during freshman year. Kise-kun transferred to Teiko during second year. Hence, he wouldn't know everything that had happened in first year. Unlike in high school, back in Teiko, we had _no_ sempai to speak of. We were part of the Teiko Basketball Team, but we are a team on our own. That is the Generation of Miracles."

Kagami didn't know what to say to that. Somehow, the way that Tamaki had said that just seems…so sad. He remembered what Tamaki had said before about her old team, and even what he knew about the Generation of Miracles when they were still in middle school. Even now, there are still a number of high school teams that feared facing that monster team. Just facing one of them is scary enough. Imagine facing all six of them of them as a team.

"We gained our reputation as a 'monster team' not only because of our overwhelming power and our tendency to use psychological tactics in a match," said Tamaki, almost as if reading Kagami's mind. "We faced quite a few problems when we built our own varsity basketball team. Particularly from the seniors who think that they deserve more than we do to be the regulars even though we beat them fair and square. This piece of news – this conflict within the basketball team never made it to the public, because in the end, Teiko is a prestigious school. And like all schools, we can't afford to have our school's image and reputation ruined because of a few cases of bullying."

"So… That's why the Generation of Miracles…" Kagami trailed off, finally understanding so many things.

Like why Kise, Midorima, Momoi and even Aomine were still so concerned about Tamaki's well being despite the fact that they are now all in different teams. Why they still kept in contact with each other. Kagami had often forgotten that even though they are all basketball players or even managers (in Momoi's case), they are all friends first and foremost before they are basketball players.

Kagami was almost envious of Tamaki for a moment for having this many friends that she could trust and go to. When he was in middle school, he had _no_ friends to speak of. When he had first returned to Japan during middle school, everyone were scared of him because of his height and because he had the 'scary eyes syndrome' that looks as if he was scowling 24/7. Hence, even in his basketball team, his teammates were all scared stiff of him, even the seniors. And the fact that his team kept losing matches wasn't helping matters either.

It wasn't until Kagami had entered Seirin that he learned how to work in a team and that basketball isn't a one man sport. Well, it is really Tamaki who had literally smacked that lesson right into his skull during the Seirin versus Shutoku match.

"We built the basketball team up to what it is now," said Tamaki. "The prestige and fame that the Teiko Basketball Club had now… We built it up since our first year. Recruited all the club members ourselves. Recruited our basketball coach ourselves. Gotten the funding for the club. Even trained ourselves. We did everything by ourselves." Tamaki had a small smile on her features. "When we gained the rights as the new varsity team during freshman year, the coach of the previous varsity team was fired by the School Board. Mainly because he's the one who encouraged the Spartan style that is the basketball style of the old team and even encouraged the bullying and abuse of the younger years. Thus, we went about looking for a coach ourselves."

"And did you find one?" Kagami asked with interest.

Tamaki nodded. "We did. At that time, it was Satsuki and me who actually managed to convince him to become our coach. Kashitori Kenta." Tamaki glanced at Kagami. "More than twenty years ago, he was part of the National Basketball Team of Japan. But he got into an accident that wouldn't allow him to play anymore. After his basketball career ended, he became a basketball coach instead. He even coached several teams that managed to make it to worldwide tournaments. No one knows why he stopped coaching. Thus, we went and approached him. He didn't want to be our coach at first. Until Satsuki and I brought him to one of our training sessions."

"And how does that help?" Kagami was confused.

"I have a faint idea." Tamaki had a small smile on her lips. "Maybe because he'd been playing in worldwide tournaments too long, and maybe because he had been coaching top class, top of the world teams, that he had almost forgotten the _joy_ that is there in just playing. Coach Kashitori was just there at one training session. Just one. He stayed there for three hours just watching us play. At the end of it, he agreed to our request to be our coach. It is true that the Generation of Miracles have their own genius talent in basketball. But we would never have became as skilled as we are now if it wasn't for him."

"Kashitori Kenta…" Kagami mused, wondering just what kind of basketball coach that Tamaki's old coach had been.

"The one thing about Coach Kashitori is that he trained us the way that he would train a professional basketball team." Tamaki told Kagami to his surprise. "He watered down the training a lot because of our age. But apart from that, he trained us like how he would train a professional team. The reason why all of us in the Generation of Miracles have such professional basketball mindsets is because of Coach Kashitori. What happens on the court, we leave it on it. Any problems that we have with the players or the opponents off court, we leave it off court. We can be opponents and enemies on the court. But when off court, we can be friends. That's the first thing that he taught us. 'Keep your basketball and personal life separate'. Even Satsuki was trained by him to be a professional basketball manager. That's why she is as skilled as she is. Amongst the three Teiko basketball managers that we have, she is the only one who managed to complete his training. His training is no walk in the park, trust me." Tamaki sighed. "Suffice to say, I did go through the same training too the moment that the coach found out about my tactical ability. While he had been the one to nurture our skills, at the same time, he is also partly responsible for the split during third year." Tamaki took a sip of her drink. "In Teiko, we learned to never show mercy to our opponents. The mindset of 'Always Victory' stayed with us for all three years. Thus the split in third year."

"Whoa…" Kagami managed out. "It doesn't seem something that someone, coach or not, should force on a group of kids."

"Probably." Tamaki shrugged. "But it is a fact that he is the one who had nurtured our skill. Second year was when the problems…begun." She glanced at Kagami. _'I won't tell him about Haizaki. He is a Generation of Miracles' problem. What happens within the Generation of Miracles stays within the Generation of Miracles. But still… It is no mistake that he is the cause of Teiko's bad name during freshman year.'_

**XXXXXX**

_~First Year of Teiko, Summer~_

Aomine Daiki was the first one to snap when it comes to a certain gray haired teen in their basketball team.

"I don't like him!" Aomine complained loudly during lunchtime on Wednesday afternoon, tucking into his bento like a hungry man that hadn't eaten for days. "He kept on trying to put the moves on Satsuki!"

And it is true. Ever since Haizaki Shougo had transferred in, and by some miracle, had became a regular of their basketball team, he had kept on bothering the manager of the first string regulars. Aomine had lost his temper a mere week after Haizaki had joined them.

The tanned teen might complain about Satsuki and all that, but anyone with eyes could tell that he cares for the pink haired girl like a sister, and wouldn't stand it if anyone is mean to her. Hell, Aomine even punched a third year senior in the face just because the idiot stole Satsuki's first kiss. Hence, when Haizaki started bothering Momoi, she got scared and stuck to Aomine like glue, even during school hours, and especially so during basketball practice.

The first string regulars were all currently gathered on the rooftop of the school to have their lunch, all with their lunch boxes or even bought from the school's cafeteria. Murasakibara however had a mountain load of snacks and sweets in front of him, instead of a proper lunch.

"Hmm?" Murasakibara Atsushi looked up from where he is munching on a lollipop. "Wasn't he just putting the moves on Hime-chin the other day?" He pondered absently.

Momoi who was present with the first string regulars winced at Murasakibara's words. Uh oh.

_Crack._

The utensils that a certain redhead was holding was broken in his hands as Akashi Seijuro's eyes looked murderous upon hearing that. "He was _what?"_ Akashi almost growled. Aomine didn't look happy either. In fact, he looked ready to use his chopsticks and poke the eyes out of a certain gray haired teen.

Midorima sighed, pushing his glasses higher. "Before you start thinking up of ideas to kill Haizaki and dismiss him from the team, might I remind you that he had contributed greatly to our victories at the Inter High preliminaries?" he pointed out. Sure, the green haired teen doesn't like Haizaki either, but someone has to be the voice of reason here. "At Teiko, as long as you show results, you're given exceptions."

That was true, and everyone knew it.

"Honestly speaking, I think it's better if we replace him though." Tamaki voiced out. "We're supposed to be cleaning Teiko's name here, _not_ besmirching it more."

"But we _do_ need an extra player, especially since you can't play for all four quarters." Akashi sighed.

That was also true. Tamaki's play style is impossible to block and defend against unless you _know_ where she is going and what she is going to do. But that also had a side effect of making Tamaki exhausted by the second quarter. Mirage takes up a lot of stamina after all, and Tamaki don't exactly have the best stamina.

"I don't see why we can't just get one of the reserves from the first string or something as the fifth player." Aomine grumbled.

**XXXXXX**

"Kise joined Teiko during second year, right?" Kagami's voice broke Tamaki out of her own thoughts, and she looked up. "Was he like this with you as he was now?"

"No way." Tamaki said bluntly. "When he first came to Teiko, there was quite a fuss. He was a new model, and had just made his debut. Thus, when he first came to Teiko, all the girls just went crazy over him. He was in the next class to mine, so I've often seen him around even before he joined the team. But right from the start, Satsuki, the captain and even me… We could see that potential in him."

**XXXXXX**

_~Second Year of Teiko, Spring~_

"Kise's amazing!"

"How many times does this make now?"

In Classroom 2-A of Teiko Middle School, both Kuroko Tamaki and Momoi Satsuki watched the grounds of their school where a second year class was currently having their physical lifting test. Only two boys were still doing the lifting test, with the rest of their classmates watching them. Well, it is mostly the girls acting crazy whilst the boys were just waiting for the two to be done with their 'competition'.

"That's the guy that you're talking about?" Tamaki asked her best friend, not taking her eyes off of the blonde.

Momoi Satsuki nodded with a confident smile. As always the ever capable strategist slash spy, though some would call her a _stalker,_ if there is any data or information that you want to know, you can always go to Momoi.

When the new school year had begun, it didn't take longer than three days before Aomine was complaining loudly after basketball practice, going home together with Momoi and Tamaki, as was his habit. And the subject of his complaints was a certain gray haired teen. Momoi had then mentioned the new blonde transfer student, and that he had some hidden potential.

As even Akashi is searching for a reason, _any_ reason to kick Haizaki out of the team, he had told Tamaki to watch the guy, and to see if he indeed has the potential to replace Haizaki as the fifth player of their team. Especially since Teiko had been the topic of the sports magazines when they have won the Inter High, the National tournament and even the Winter Cup the previous year.

"That's him. Kise Ryota. Second year student of Teiko Middle School. Class 2-B. He is a genius at sports, and it is said that he never stayed longer than three months in any sport that caught his attention. And he had just made his debut as a model." Momoi told Tamaki.

"I never know where you got all that information from, and I don't think I even want to know." Tamaki sighed, and Momoi giggled. "A genius at sports…" She watched the blonde – Kise Ryota down below on the grounds. She recognised the boy who is competing with him. Tanaka Ryotaro, a member of the soccer club who is also the class representative of Class 2-B. She should know, since Tamaki is her class's representative, and had been present in the Student Council meeting held during the first week of school. "Rather than a genius at sports, I'll say that he's more of a quick learner."

Momoi said nothing as the two continued watching the lifting test from their classroom window until Kise kicked the soccer ball into the net itself.

The pink haired girl finally tore her gaze away from the school grounds, and turned towards her best friend. The teal haired girl had a hint of a small smile on her lips, a thoughtful expression on her face. Momoi knows that look well – it is the look that Tamaki always had on her face during one of their strategy meetings before every match that they had with Akashi and Midorima, and even in the middle of a game when she has to adjust her play and strategy according to the team that they were playing.

"What do you think?" Momoi asked Tamaki.

"Well, I admit that he seems interesting. A fast learner or a 'copycat', huh?" Tamaki mused. "I'll talk this over with Sei. But he's interesting. He seems to have some hidden potential." She glanced at the blonde on the school grounds. "Kise Ryota, huh?"

**XXXXXX**

"Originally, Satsuki was going to invite him to the basketball team." Tamaki told an interested Kagami who was halfway through his Leaning Tower of Pisa by now. "But before she could do that, Kise-kun joined the basketball team of his own accord."

**XXXXXX**

_~Second Year of Teiko, Spring~_

Tamaki frowned, furrowing her brows together as she studied the clipboard in her hand fervently, a pen in her left hand. She barely even noticed the fact that Aomine had just left the gym to retrieve the ball that a second stringer had accidentally smacked out of the gym.

"If you frown any deeper, you're going to have wrinkles," said a voice, and Tamaki looked up only to see her cousin smirking at her, a red towel around his neck with a water tumbler in one hand. Akashi sat down on the bench next to her. "Problems with the strategy for the next match?"

"Not exactly." Tamaki sighed. "In fact, it'll probably give me less headaches if Haizaki _won't_ be playing."

"Well, Coach wants you to sit out of the matches until the end of the Inter High preliminaries, and I agree with him." Akashi told his cousin. "You've been overworking yourself a bit lately, especially since you hadn't been giving yourself a break even during the holidays." Akashi sighed as he watched the first string regulars doing their warm ups. "As for Haizaki, don't worry. I'll find a way to dismiss him from the team." He then stood up. "I have to see the coach. You're in charge for now."

Tamaki nodded before Akashi left the gym, and she bent her head over the clipboard once more. Aomine's loud voice caught her attention, and the teal haired girl looked up only to see the tanned player walking into the gym, a basketball under one arm.

"Hey, I got the ball!" Aomine called out to the group of first and second stringers that he had been practicing with.

"Good! Let's start!" One of the first stringers called out to Aomine.

Aomine grinned before they delved back into the practice game that they have been playing in earlier before some second stringer had sent the ball flying out of the gym. For several moments, Tamaki forgot about her worries about the next match and a certain gray haired teen as she watched Aomine play with a small smile on her face. Watching Aomine plays always manages to entrance her somehow.

It has nearly been an entire year since Haizaki had joined them, but Tamaki could say with confidence that nearly the entire team is fed up with him. Even Akashi had reached nearly the end of his patience when it comes to dealing with that guy. And Tamaki for one always feels uncomfortable whenever she feels those _eyes_ of his on her person. Hence why she always stuck herself to either Aomine's side or even her cousin or even Murasakibara whenever the former two aren't available.

Aomine dunked the ball into the hoop with a loud battle cry, with the metal hoop of the goal giving out a groaning and creaking sound that Tamaki didn't like the sound of. The teal haired girl made a mental note to examine the goal at the end of practice that day. They might have to replace the goal once more. With power players like Aomine and Murasakibara present, the basketball team often has to change the hoops of their goals at least once every two weeks, and went through several dozen basketballs every month.

"Great, Aomine!" A second stringer praised him. "As strong as always! No one can beat you!"

Aomine grinned at the second stringer. "Nah, you're pretty strong yourself!" he said. He then turned and walked towards Tamaki's direction, with the teal haired girl handing him his towel and water tumbler. "Thank you." Aomine wiped his sweat from his neck and took a sip from his water tumbler. "What are you doing?"

"Brainstorming over the next match's strategy." Tamaki answered. "It will be easier if only a certain _someone_ will just _listen_ to us during strategy meetings, and not play his own way." She sighed. "I don't know why we even bother to tell him the strategy. He never listens to us anyway. We're lucky that the team is as good as they are, otherwise, all our matches would end up in disaster!"

Aomine frowned at the mere mention of the gray haired teen. "He still bothering you?" he asked.

"Not so much ever since Sei had lost his temper and had threatened him at scissors point that he so much as get within ten feet of me without one of you present, his mother will be receiving a nice human skin as an early Christmas present."

Aomine nearly sweat dropped. "I-I see," he said, laughing nervously.

Tamaki then noticed someone standing at the doors of the gym and turned only to see Kise Ryota standing at the entrance, staring at Aomine with stars for eyes. She frowned slightly. Teiko has a very strict rule that people who aren't part of the basketball team in Teiko aren't allowed into the gyms. The rule was there for good reason, as every single member was tired of having to deal with the numerous scouts and spies that have turned up ever since their victories at the three major basketball tournaments last year.

"Friend of yours?" Tamaki asked Aomine, glancing from the tanned teen to the blonde standing at the door.

"Friend?" Aomine sounded confused as he turned only to see the blonde standing at the doors of the gym. "What is he doing here? If Akashi sees him, he won't be happy."

"Come with me?" Tamaki asked, looking up at Aomine who grinned and nodded. The two then walked towards the blonde, with Aomine close behind her, a frown on his face as he looked at Kise. The blonde looked startled as Tamaki and Aomine approached him. "Can we help you?" Tamaki asked him. "I'm sorry, but if you're not a member of the basketball club, I will have to ask you to leave."

"I…" Kise swallowed, staring at Aomine with stars for eyes, and the tanned teen cringed and took a step backwards. "Can I join the basketball club?" He asked breathlessly.

Aomine and Tamaki exchanged bemused looks. To think that they were just talking about recruiting Kise for the basketball team that day at lunch. Momoi is even preparing the basketball recruitment form and everything for Kise, even getting his measurements for his training gear and jersey.

Usually, the basketball team would never resort to something like this. But their patience had literally run thin with a certain gray haired teen, and even Akashi is willing to try just about anything so that Haizaki can get the hell out of _his_ team and far _far_ away from his cousin.

"Get Midorima-kun to take charge of the training for about an hour." Tamaki told Aomine who nodded. "Kise Ryota, right?" She asked the blonde who nodded. "Come with me. I'm taking you to see the coach."

**XXXXXX**

"Don't mind me saying this," said Kagami, glancing at Tamaki warily. "But I heard from Yuki-san once that your parents…passed away during your second year?"

Tamaki flinched at that, but otherwise, she showed no expression, her right hand reaching over to touch her left. "…Yeah," she said softly. "But that wasn't until the Inter High ended. They passed away on the day of the Inter High finals. I got the call after the match ended. I heard that they were involved in a car accident. I rushed over to the hospital immediately, but I was still too late. I didn't even get to see them for the last time." Tamaki didn't betray any emotions on her face. "I wasn't particularly close to my parents, as they are barely around anyway. On that day, my dad promised to watch my match. It was the first match of mine that they were going to see. But they didn't get to see it. It wasn't not long after that when Aunt Yuki's husband walked out on her and my cousin with his mistress. And that jerk didn't even have the decency to at least visit his son."

"Seems like a lot of awful things happened during second year." Kagami commented, trying to take Tamaki's mind off of her parents' deaths.

Even Yuki-san had seemed reluctant to talk about her brother and his wife. Like with the rest of the team, Kagami knew that Tamaki lost her parents when she was in the second year of middle school, and that her aunt was listed as her guardian after that, though Tamaki lives by herself.

"I guess so," said Tamaki with a small smile. She looked out of the window, sipping onto her milkshake. _'Haizaki's expulsion from the team was…intense, to say the least.'_ She frowned inwardly.

Like with the rest of the Generation of Miracles, Haizaki Shougo was someone whom Tamaki would never talk about. He is part of the dark pages of history that they would want to keep buried. Not even the current third years of Teiko Middle School who had been around when Haizaki was dismissed from the team during Tamaki's second year would talk about him.

'_Haizaki Shougo…'_ Tamaki thought, looking at her reflection in the window glass. _'It's been two years since then. But knowing him, he will want revenge. On the Generation of Miracles. Particularly on Kise-kun, Sei and me. We hadn't heard from him since he left during our second year. I heard that he went to attend school in Akita after Teiko, and no one heard from him since then. Back then… It is true that we have been trying to clean Teiko's name, and the fact that our bad reputation only adds on is mainly because of Haizaki's play. Sei dismissed him from the team because of several reasons, not only because of what he tried to do to me. But… Did we go too far?' _She wondered.

**XXXXXX**

_~Second Year of Teiko, Spring~_

It is lunchtime, and the first stringers of the Teiko Basketball Club were gathered at their usual table in the cafeteria, having their lunch. Around them, the usual babble of their schoolmates filled the air. Midorima was very grumpy, resisting the urge to adjust Murasakibara's hold on his chopsticks who was holding it in a manner rather reminiscent of how one would hold a knife.

"As always, your appetite is horrible." Aomine joked, seeing that there is nothing but just a small bowl of rice, a small bowl of miso soup and a plate of meatballs in front of Tamaki. "You should really eat more, Tamaki."

"This is all that I can handle." Tamaki answered. Beside her, Akashi sighed. He had long given up on trying to get Tamaki to eat more.

An arm reached out all of a sudden and snatched a meatball from Tamaki's already small pile of meatballs. "Mine~" Haizaki Shougo grinned, gobbling down the meatball, apparently oblivious of the sudden looks of dislike that had appeared on the faces of everyone present.

"Oi!" The short tempered Aomine was close to blowing a fuse. This is like the third time this week that Haizaki had stolen food from them. "If you're hungry, get an extra large one or go get more food!" He pointed his chopsticks threateningly at Haizaki. "Don't go stealing other people's food every single day!" He complained.

"Aomine-kun, drop it." Tamaki looked warningly at Aomine.

The last thing that they need is to have Aomine be in another detention because of an argument or a fight with Haizaki. That had unfortunately been a rather common occurrence since first year. If it happens during basketball practice however, at the very least, Akashi, their coach, Midorima, Momoi or even Tamaki can always stop it before it gets too far.

"C'mon, it's no big deal." Haizaki drawled, grinning at Aomine's scowling face. "And you do it too."

The chopsticks looked close to being snapped in half in Aomine's hands. Midorima sighed from where he is sitting. He prayed mentally that Aomine wouldn't start a fight in the middle of the school cafeteria. Next to Tamaki, Akashi frowned.

"Do I have to say this every day?" Haizaki drawled, a dangerous glint in his eyes. "It's not 'cause I'm hungry." He licked at his lips. "It's just that food on other people's plates looks more delicious. I can't help it."

Aomine twitched, and Akashi glanced at Haizaki.

"At the very least, I don't go taking food when I'm not hungry." Aomine grumbled, stabbing his chopsticks into his bowl of rice, wishing that it was Haizaki's face that he's stabbing.

Midorima decided to steer the conversation into less dangerous waters. "By the way, I heard that there is a second year who is moving up to the first string today," he said. "And apparently, he just started two weeks ago. He's advancing as fast as we were." Midorima eyed Akashi knowingly at that, and the red haired captain smirked in response.

"His name is Kise Ryota." Tamaki answered. "He's in Class 2-B."

"Eh? Ah!" Aomine looked both bewildered and surprised the moment that the blonde's name had passed Tamaki's lips. "I know that guy! I met him before."

"Hmm…" Haizaki licked at his lips thoughtfully. "Kise Ryota, huh?"

"That's rare for you to remember other people's names." Midorima glanced at Haizaki. As far as he knows, it is only their names that Haizaki even bothered to remember. And that is only because Akashi had threatened to kill Haizaki with his scissors during his second week with them if the gray haired teen had persisted on calling Akashi 'chibi-chan'.

"Well, it's an inkling. But just in case… Sounds like he'll do pretty well." Haizaki commented even as said blonde walked into the cafeteria at that moment. "And…" He looked at Kise out of the corner of his eye as he said so. "…doesn't sound like we'll get along well."

Akashi looked at Haizaki with narrowed eyes.

* * *

Tamaki was absentmindedly flipping through her notebook whilst walking through the hallway of the second years' classrooms when she heard someone calling her name. School had just let out, and the teal haired girl is just on her way to the gym for basketball practice.

Her cousin was just standing behind her, a solemn look on his face. "What's wrong?" Tamaki asked, bewildered, as Akashi approached her. "That's some look on your face."

"You know that I've approved Kise's promotion into the first string, right?" Akashi questioned, and Tamaki nodded. As Akashi's second-in-command, naturally, she knows about any promotions for any of their members, and was responsible for the scheduling of any practice matches with other schools. "I want you to train him."

"Excuse me?" Tamaki looked at Akashi oddly. She then sighed. "I thought that you might ask that of me soon enough." She told her cousin. "Haizaki had been a major problem for all of us. And as of now, Kise-kun is the only one who might make it as a first string regular. But ability wise, he isn't up there with the rest of us yet."

Akashi sighed. "The Inter High preliminaries are in another month. Do you think that you can get him ready by then?" he asked.

"I'll try," said Tamaki doubtfully. "But in exchange, you have to give me free rein in training him."

Akashi nodded. "Of course," he said. "Also, one more thing." He looked dead serious at this point in time. "I don't want you to be alone with Haizaki from now on." He warned, much to Tamaki's confusion. "The look in his eyes… I don't like it."

**XXXXXX**

Kagami was silent for a long time after Tamaki had finished speaking. It hadn't been an easy thing for her to tell Kagami the history behind the Generation of Miracles, though leaving out several parts of it, the parts including Haizaki, the incident with Hanamiya during the Winter Cup finals of their second year, and why they have all started changing during third year.

"I guess I can sort of understand them now." Kagami said at long last. "But I wasn't there at Teiko with you, so I _can't_ understand them the way you can. But if what you said is true, and that they have started changing because in a way, Teiko forced them to be the best, and right from the start, you guys have been alone, then…" Kagami trailed off slowly. "We'll show them that this isn't Teiko anymore. They have people whom they could rely on now. Basketball isn't lonely. We'll show them." He grinned at Tamaki.

Tamaki managed a small smile and nodded at her partner. "I told you all this not only because I want you to understand their way of thinking, especially Aomine-kun." Kagami frowned at that. "For him, basketball is now painful and lonely. Especially because he can no longer find a rival that could rival him in terms of abilities. Standing at the top is lonely." Tamaki admitted. Even she herself had felt that cold bitterness and that loneliness during their third championship win. That is why she had left. "I told you this also because I want you to be prepared for whatever that my old teammates might throw at you. I was the brains behind Teiko's three continuous victories. But I didn't do it alone. I've told you before, didn't I?" Kagami looked confused. "That right from the very beginning, the Generation of Miracles was a team who favours psychological tactics. Thus several of my strategies and tactics utilises psychological attacks. Mainly… It's because of what had happened during freshman year." She admitted.

It had been a struggle to put down their upperclassmen, especially since so many of them believe in 'Spartan basketball'. They got the most problems during freshman year, and Haizaki's arrival after that didn't help any matters. And Tamaki's own skill in strategies and basketball tactics only added to Teiko's style of using psychological play. By the time that third year had rolled about, all of them have changed drastically.

"But still, the 'Generation of Miracles', huh?" Kagami snorted. "I know that I've thought of this when I'd first heard of their name, but it's a really corny name."

"To start with, none of us called ourselves that." Tamaki pointed out. "It was a name given to us by the number of teams that we've crushed in first and second year. And it isn't like any of us cared that we were called that anyway. The strongest team in middle school basketball. The Emperor, Teiko Middle School." Tamaki smiled. "And it just so happens that all six of us were in the same grade and the same school, and were even in the same team. I don't remember who named us that anymore. But when that article about Teiko came out in _Sports Weekly_ during second year, that name kind of stuck, as the reporter actually used the 'Generation of Miracles' moniker for us."

Tamaki still remembered when they'd first read that article when Kise had brought it to school after the Inter High tournament had ended, and the first thing that they saw upon seeing the magazine is the heading of 'Teiko Middle School, the Strongest Team: The 'Generation of Miracles' Take the Basketball World by Storm!'

Tamaki could still remember the loud complaining that Aomine had done to anyone who would even listen about how 'cheesy' that the moniker is. Unfortunately, the name had stuck, and they've been known as the 'Generation of Miracles' ever since.

"The Generation of Miracles, huh?" Kagami grinned, crumbling his burger wrapper into a ball and tossing it onto the already large pile of empty burger wrappers in front of him. "Interesting! It got my blood boiling! The Winter Cup will be interesting." He grinned at Tamaki. "I'll crush them all. Let's show them. Our—" He shook his head. "No. _My_ and _your_ basketball." Tamaki smiled and nodded. "This winter will be war." Kagami declared. "Against the Generation of Miracles."

* * *

_A/N: And I am done with this long overdue chapter! As for several missing parts of the 'history', I'll ask you to wait until Hanamiya and Haizaki actually come into the picture. You don't want me to spoil it for you too early and actually reveal what had actually **happened** between them and the Generation of Miracles, would you?_

_Anyway, season 2 of the anime will be airing in March of next year! Woohoo! That should be around the time for the next Princess of Miracles update as well, since I'm concentrating more on my other stories, particularly Silent Light and Shattered Soul. On a side note, I'll appreciate more suggestions and ideas for Silent Light. Also, below is the preview for a new idea that I've had in mind for a new Kuroko no Basuke story._

_I hope that you guys like this story, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_

_**Breathing**_

"I won't let him die." When Kuroko collapses after the Touou versus Seirin match, the team panicked. It was then that Seirin discovers the secret that their team's shadow had been hiding, and it then changes the team as a whole. Protective!GoM

* * *

_Thud!_

"Kuroko!"

"Kuroko-kun!"

"Tetsu-kun!"

Aomine Daiki turned around sharply as the whistle of the referee blew out, and the cries of the Seirin team rang out as it did so. Satsuki was screaming from the Touou bench as well, and the players of both teams on the court were looking at something in horror.

The tanned player's eyes widened in horror as he saw a figure face down on the ground, unmoving, the shock of teal hair on his head identifying just who he is. Both teams of Touou and Seirin were crowding around that figure by then, and Aomine dashed over towards the group in record time, a sense of dread building up in him.

Within the audience, Midorima and Kise were both watching this scene in both concern and worry, trading looks. If this is what they think that it might be…

Kagami was kneeling down on the court next to his unmoving partner, shaking him by the shoulders. "Oi! Kuroko! What's wrong?" he demanded.

"OI! GET OUT OF MY WAY, YOU DAMN IDIOTS!" A loud and angry roar could be heard from a certain short tempered ace.

Aomine Daiki pushed his way roughly towards the front, not caring whom he knocked over. Wakamatsu Kousuke has to reach out to grab hold of Sakurai Ryou's arm to prevent the timid teen from getting knocked over. The Touou Center growled low in his throat, adding another thing to his list of why Aomine Daiki is top on his list of Least Favourite People in the World.

"Give him some air!" The Seirin coach, Aida Riko ordered, pushing her way through the crowd of boys.

By this time, Aomine had turned Kuroko over gently so that he is lying flat on his back. The teal haired boy was pale—even paler than normal, and Aomine hitched his breath. He knew what is this. The entire Generation of Miracles had dealt with this often enough in the past.

The tanned player reached out a hand and felt for a pulse at the teal haired boy's wrist.

Nothing.

Aomine breathed in sharply, a look of panic visible in his eyes, though it isn't really visible to anyone at present. He pressed two fingers against the pale boy's neck. Quickly, he then placed two fingers just before Tetsu's nose.

Nothing. Not even a draft of air.

Aomine looked up at Seirin, a look of panic on his normally arrogant face.

"…He's not breathing."


	25. Author's Note

**Author's Note:**

Sorry folks, it's not an update. I've said this before, and I can't believe that I'm saying it again, but I do believe that _everyone _dreads seeing my author notes by now as it _never_ bodes good news.

Now, I really do meant to update _Princess of Miracles _this month, as it had long been overdue for an update, but it looks like it will be delayed _again._ My main reason had been that I really do not wish to follow the manga like so many authors do, as I tend to follow the anime more, and it is confirmed that the season two will only be out in September!

Another reason is that I'm trying to focus more on my other KnB stories, and remember the assassin story that I've mentioned before? I'll probably either start that, the Momoi follows Kuroko story, the RPG story, the Teiko High School story or even the vampire story. I'll let you pick which you would want me to start on.

And another reason is that I'm trying to complete some of my other stories, mainly my Naruto ones that some of my other readers have been chasing me after, particularly _Second Chances, Cold Blue Ice, Lunar Night, Different Beginnings _and _Lost Twilight._

And one of the most important ones is _health reasons._ For some reason, I've been getting some serious palpitations lately, and had been rather short of breath of late. I've dismissed it as something minor in the beginning, but it's been two months, and it's been getting worse! And all the advertisements about heart problems that are getting broadcasted in my country isn't helping my anxiety any. It probably has to do with my problems at school as well, since my classmates at school are only making my blood pressure rise!

So yeah, sorry about this. But the next update will be delayed further. I will probably be adding an original chapter about Akashi and Tamaki for the next one, rather than follow the canon storyline, as I had kind of been neglecting their relationship, along with that of Akashi's mother, and not forgetting Tamaki and Aomine.

So yeah, vote for which story you want me to start next:

_**Weeping Words**_

_Momoi Satsuki had just about reached the end of her patience with her childhood friend. Deciding against following Aomine to Touou, she chose to attend Seirin alongside her crush instead. With the Phantom Player and Teiko's best manager, Seirin vowed to reach the top in the high school basketball world._

_**Fallen Shards**_

_RPG AU. The different arcane guilds had always been at loggerheads with each other, especially the legendary guild, Teiko, which was led by six of the highest class of warriors that had ever existed, the Kiseki no Sedai. But when the very life of the world, the Mimir Tree was threatened, the guilds must put aside their differences and fight for a common goal. The war has begun. Fem!KurokoXAomine_

_**Into the Dark**_

_Vampires have always been something like that of a myth – only something out of a storybook. Kagami Taiga definitely didn't expect for his life to take a turn for the unexpected when he came answering a call recruitment drive for a cook at the Seirin Café, and got himself involved with the war between the vampires and the hunters. Vampire!GoM. Aomine/Fem!Kuroko_

_**Teiko High School**_

_What if the Generation of Miracles had enough of the treatment by the different teams and different high schools treating them as some trophies to be won for their teams, and decided to join the sister high school to Teiko Middle? The worst fear of the high school basketball circuit had just come true: the Generation of Miracles are back. And they are out for blood._

_**Generation of Assassins**_

_A globe wide panic broke across the world when a series of kidnappings took place, with the targets being children that possesses talents. Neither the kidnappers nor the children were ever found. Now ten years later, a series of killings had been taking place all over the world, and the ones responsible are a group of talented assassins that are thus dubbed the 'Generation of Miracles'._


	26. Tears of Summer

And I'm back! Thank you to everyone who had reviewed the last chapter (even if it isn't so much of a chapter as much as it is an author's note). Anyway, my test results came back clear to anyone who is interested to know. The doctor thinks that it might be stress overload or something, as I _had_ been pretty stressed out for the past three months.

Also, to answer some questions, yes, I've actually _read_ the manga, thank you very much. And while I do like the Teiko arc currently ongoing in the manga, I probably won't be including most of it in this story. I've already planned out _Princess of Miracles_ even before I've started writing it, and I don't intend to change my plans for this story just because of the recent events happening in the manga.

Anyway, for those who had been complaining that the recent chapters seem almost like a novelization of the manga/anime, I hope that you'd be happy with this chapter, as it involves some Aomine/Tamaki fluff as well.

**Pairings: **Aomine/Tamaki

**Warnings: **AU Universe. OOC. Gender swap. Nice Akashi. Overprotective Generation of Miracles.

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Kuroko no Basuke and any of the characters, but the OC characters belongs to me

* * *

**Chapter Twenty Four: Tears of Summer**

"_She'll be fine now." - Akashi Seijuro_

**XXXXXX**

Kuroko Tamaki stared out of the classroom window, barely listening to the lecture even as the History teacher droned on and on about some samurai during the Edo era. Even without looking, Tamaki knew that half her classmates were barely listening, with the other half probably already halfway to la-la-land.

Their minds were already in holiday mood.

It was a week to the start of the summer holidays after all.

Their coach had gathered the entire basketball team the day after they've watched the match between Touou and Kaijo, and had informed them that she'll be scheduling some special training for them during the summer break.

The moment that they've heard the words 'special training' come out of their coach's mouth, the entire basketball team paled. It never bodes well whenever you put 'training' and 'Riko' in the same sentence.

Not even Tamaki knew what Riko had in mind, but judging by the devious glint in the brunette girl's eyes, Tamaki knew that it isn't going to be anything good.

Also coincidentally, the school's summer cultural festival will also be held the week before their break for the summer holidays. Tamaki's class had decided to hold a café during the festival, along with putting on a play for the parents that will be coming to their festival.

Right now however, Tamaki's mind was barely on anything school related even as she stared out at the gloomy and dark skies that seem to be threatening rain.

'_What a desolate day.'_ Tamaki sighed inwardly to herself. _'I can't get into anything at all.'_ She thought absent-mindedly, twirling her pen in between the fingers of her right hand as she did so. _'We have until the end of the summer holidays to get ready for the Winter Cup. Will we be in time?'_ She wondered, glancing at her left wrist.

"_The Winter Cup will be interesting. I'll crush them all. This winter will be war. Against the Generation of Miracles."_

The school bell went off just then, and there were sighs of relief from Tamaki's classmates, as it meant that they could finally go home.

"All right. This will be it for today." Their History teacher told them, closing the History textbook with a light snap. "Just because it will be the summer holidays doesn't mean that you should slack off! Remember to do your homework and do some revision over the holidays, as there will be a quiz once you get back!"

There were loud groans at that. Tamaki stifled a small smile as she packed her books and stuff into her bag. She then pulled out her phone to check for any messages or calls that she might have missed whilst she is in class, and the eyes of the teal haired girl widened a slight fraction when she saw the date reflected on the screen of her phone.

"Oi Tamaki!" The loud boisterous voice of her teammate and friend caused Tamaki to turn around. "I know that basketball practice is cancelled for the week as we're all busy with the preparations for the cultural festival, but do you want to get some training in with me?" Kagami asked.

"Sorry. Not today." Tamaki apologised, chucking the last of her things into her bag. "I got something on today. See you around."

* * *

In Touou Academy, Aomine Daiki cracked opened his eyes as he felt the light drizzle of rain falling gently onto his face only to be met with the dark and gloomy clouds converging the skies.

'_It's raining, huh?'_ Aomine grumbled, sitting up and rubbing his eyes, not caring in the least that the rain is falling onto him. _'I should go in.'_ He groaned as he got to his feet, his muscles still aching from his match with Kise. Satsuki had been unusually concerned about his muscle aches and pains after the Touou versus Kaijo match, but Aomine had merely shrugged it off as Satsuki being…Satsuki.

Almost like the skies had just opened up, a heavy downpour soon begun with the loud boom of thunder the moment that Aomine walked through the door of the school's rooftop. "Barely made it in time, huh?" Aomine mused, staring at the downpour with wide eyes. "And it is so bright and sunny just a few hours ago too." He took out his phone to check for any messages or calls that he might have missed when he was sleeping. From past experiences, he knew that if he saw any missed calls or messages from Satsuki, it'd be in his best health interests to call her back. The tanned teen's eyes widened when he saw the date reflected on the screen of his phone. "Ah damn." He scratched the back of his head with his free hand, his eyes growing darker. "It's today, huh?"

* * *

"_Our apologies to all passengers. Due to the heavy downpour, rail service might be delayed. We apologise for any inconvenience—"_

On a train heading towards the Tokyo district, Akashi Seijuro sighed as he looked out of the window only to see that it is currently raining like cats and dogs. He could barely make out the landscape through the window because of the rain. The redhead then huffed and settled into his seat, making himself comfortable.

Akashi took out his cellphone and stared at the screen that is a wallpaper of him and his cousin, a photo taken when they were in their first year of middle school. Tamaki had smiled a lot more back then.

'_It's today, huh?'_ Akashi mused to himself, eyes glancing at the date being displayed on the LCD screen of his phone. _'The weather was like this back then.'_ He thought, looking outside the window. Akashi's eyes darkened over considerably as he pressed the palm of his hand against the window, feeling the cool temperature of the glass because of the heavy downpour. _'The night when Uncle and Auntie died.'_

**XXXXXX**

The rain was starting to let up, being nothing more than a light drizzle, as Tamaki made her way towards the cemetery. The teal haired girl was surprised to see a certain tanned teen waiting for her at the entrance of the ceremony, his hair damp from the rain.

"Yo." Aomine greeted Tamaki.

"How did you know that I'm here?" Tamaki asked, adjusting her hold on the bouquet of lilies in her arms.

"Well, on this one day of the year, you and Akashi both always skipped practice. I asked Yuki-san where you might be, and she told me to come here." Aomine explained, dancing around the reason _why_ Tamaki and Akashi always went missing on this one day of the year every year. "Besides… I've never met your parents before. And well, I kind of want to give my own greetings." He muttered.

Tamaki smiled a small smile. "My mother would have liked you if she had met you," she told Aomine even as they walked through the cemetery. Tamaki didn't miss the slight flicker of fear in Aomine's eyes as his eyes flickered from one gravestone to the next. Looks like Aomine still hadn't gotten over his fear of the supernatural. "My father will just scare you. Especially if he sees you with me. My father is kind of overprotective. They aren't the best parents in the world, especially since they are barely around. But still… They're still my parents." Tamaki stopped before a pair of elaborate-looking gravestones, placing the bouquet of lilies before it.

Aomine stood beside Tamaki, eyes tracing the names engraved in the gravestone: _Kuroko Takeru_ and _Kuroko nee Sasaki Mayumi._

'_So they are Tamaki's parents.'_ Aomine mused, hands stuffed into his pockets. Along with the rest of the Generation of Miracles, he knew what had happened to Tamaki's parents during their second year. And later on, what had happened to Akashi's parents. Those two incidents had changed the two cousins drastically, and even the Generation of Miracles as a whole.

"Okaa-san. Otou-san. It's been another year." Tamaki said softly even as she stood before the gravestones. "I've been doing well. Aunt Yuki and Sei too. We're getting on fine. I've started high school this year." She smiled a small smile. "It's already been…two years, huh? Time really flies." She turned her eyes towards the ground, recalling that disastrous night.

* * *

_~Second Year of Teiko, Summer~_

The second and third stringers of the Teiko basketball club trailed back slowly towards their school after a practice match with some random team, all trailing after their vice-captain and a certain blonde who is just next to her.

And like with every single one of Teiko's matches, it is a victory, especially with one of their regulars, the vice-captain furthermore involved in the game.

"I still don't get it." Kise Ryota complained. "Sacrificing oneself for a game? I know you're amazing, Tamacchi. But is it fun to play like that?"

"Hmm?" Tamaki glanced up from where she is currently tapping away on her phone; apparently composing a message to their captain to inform him of their return and the match's outcome. "It's not," she said in response to Kise's question. "It's not fun to play like that at times. But losing is even less fun. Any player can be in the spotlight, particularly the team's ace."

"Aominecchi?" Kise wondered.

"Well, he too." Tamaki said with a small amused smile. "But the one that usually helps lead the team to victory is the team's support. They might not be in the spotlight, but their role is just as important, if not more. There is no such thing as a useless player in the team, Kise-kun." She shut her phone.

Kise grinned. "I think I find basketball more fun now!" he said cheerfully.

Tamaki smiled. "Well, that's good," she said. "We don't have to kick you off the team at least." She joked, much to Kise's horror.

"W-What?"

Tamaki laughed. "I'm just joking," she said before her phone started ringing, much to her surprise. The teal haired girl pulled out her phone only to see the words 'Akashi Seijuro' flashing across the LCD screen. "Sei?" she wondered as she answered the phone. "Sei?"

"_Tama, where are you right now?"_ Her cousin sounded breathless and a little panicked. And judging by the background noises on the other end of the line, Akashi seems to be in a vehicle of some sort. Maybe a taxi?

"Huh? I just messaged you. We're on the way back to the school. Why?" Tamaki answered, rather confused.

Akashi was silent for several moments before he spoke again. _"…Tama, I need you to calm down and listen to me,"_ he said seriously. _"Mum just called me. Uncle and Auntie are…"_

Tamaki's eyes widened. "…Eh?"

She never noticed her phone slipping from her grasp and shattering into pieces on the pavement.

* * *

"I guess the saying that you never know what you've got until you've lost it is right in a way." Tamaki admitted. "Right from the start, my parents have never been there whenever I need them. I used to complain about this to them, and even to Sei." She looked at Aomine. "But the house had never felt empty before. Maybe because I knew that they will return. But after they'd passed away, the house just feels…so empty and cold." She admitted. "Maybe that's why I chose to move houses."

Aomine said nothing to that.

"But…" Tamaki closed her eyes briefly. "Maybe it's about time to let go. Two years is long enough." Aomine gave a start as he felt Tamaki clutch his left hand with her right, and they intertwined their fingers together. "Okaa-san, Otou-san, let me introduce to you my boyfriend. We've known each other since middle school, and we've only started seeing each other recently."

Aomine looked at the gravestones of Tamaki's parents, clearing his throat nervously. "Hi, Uncle and Auntie," he started, feeling rather foolish for talking to an inanimate object, but he pressed on. "I've never actually met you before, but I heard that it's customary for the guy to ask the girl's parents for their permission to date their daughter. I guess I can't really _ask_ for permission now, but still…" He looked at Tamaki before turning his attention back to the gravestones. "I want to thank you. For leaving such a wonderful gift. I swear to you that I will protect Tamaki."

"I won't be coming back every month or so anymore." Tamaki said softly. "I'll be moving on. The only time that I will come is probably on your death anniversaries and birthdays. Daddy, I'll take your advice."

"…_Live on…for us, baby…"_

Tamaki bowed slightly to the gravestones. "Goodbye."

The two then left the area. A short while later, Akashi Seijuro emerged from behind a tree, an umbrella held over his head even as he walked over to the gravestones of Kuroko Takeru and Mayumi.

"Looks like you can rest assured now," he said. "Tama is in safe hands. She'll be fine now. But as her cousin, I'm still worried about her. Please watch over her."

The rain stopped, and almost as if in answer to Akashi's plea, the sun came out slowly from behind the clouds. The redhead folded up the umbrella that he is using and shielded his eyes as he looked towards the sun.

"Besides… I think that it is about time that I take my own advice as well," he mused. "It's about time to move on from the past."

**XXXXXX**

"It's been a long time, Daiki." Momoi's father greeted the tanned teen as he opened the door. "I hadn't seen you around for some time."

"Well, Satsuki called me here today." Aomine muttered. "And it's a Saturday too. I want to sleep in." He grumbled.

Momoi's father shook his head in amusement. "If you sleep too much, you'll become an idiot," he said with a laugh. "Well, Satsuki and Tamaki-chan are both in her room. You know which one it is. I'm heading out."

"Yeah." Aomine nodded even as Momoi's father walked out of the house. The tanned teen then headed towards Satsuki's room, knowing which room it is as he had been here so often, and had even slept over numerous times throughout his childhood years.

He heard the voices of the two girls even before he reached the room.

"…_and I shall brave the tower, for I love the princess so…"_ That was Satsuki's voice. Are they reciting lines from some Shakespeare book? "Gah! These lines are so mushy that even _I_ find it embarrassing!" Satsuki complained, and Tamaki giggled. "Who even speaks like that these days? And who wrote this script? There's way too much Shakespeare references in it!"

"Do not look at me. I'm not the one who decided that we are going to play Sleeping Beauty for the school festival." Tamaki told Satsuki, and Aomine blinked.

Oh right. He'd nearly forgotten that Tamaki had actually invited Satsuki and himself to Seirin's cultural festival next week. She didn't invite Kise, but the blonde had apparently invited himself along, dragging an unwilling Midorima along for the ride.

"But the dress for the princess is _so_ beautiful!" Satsuki squealed suddenly. "It really suited you, Tamaki-chan."

"Well, thank you."

Aomine's eyes widened. _'Tamaki is playing the PRINCESS?'_ he thought in bewilderment. During middle school, Tamaki never held any major roles during performances. Partly because of her lack of presence. But also partly because Tamaki isn't exactly popular amongst the girls of Teiko. Same reason as Satsuki's popularity poll amongst the girls in Teiko: they hung around way too much with the boys of the basketball club.

Aomine then frowned. _'Wait a minute. Sleeping Beauty… Sleeping Beauty…'_ He tried to remember what he could from the show of Sleeping Beauty that Satsuki had forced him to watch with her once when they were kids. _'Then doesn't that means that…the prince has to KISS the princess?' _Aomine's eyes widened in horror at the mere thought of some other guy kissing his girlfriend.

Oh hell _no!_

**XXXXXX**

"For a new school, they sure knew how to organise their festivals." Momoi commented, impressed, looking at the colourful booths and banners that decorated the school grounds of Seirin High School. "Reminds me of the school festival during our second year at Teiko." She giggled behind her hand, as if remembering something funny. "Mukkun looks so cute in that dress of his!"

Aomine, Kise and Midorima groaned as one as they recalled that disastrous school festival. And they of course still remembered how the tall purple haired center looks like in that long purple dress of his. Momoi wonders for a moment if the Cultural Club of Teiko had kept the dress. And _of course,_ they remembered that disastrous rally race that Momoi, Tamaki, Aomine and Kise have taken part in.

"Cafes. Haunted houses. They even have a fortune telling booth!" Kise peered over Momoi's shoulder at the pamphlet in her hands.

The four teens apparently failed to notice the attention that they are currently gathering because of their good looks, particularly Kise who is a particularly popular model.

"Kyaa, they are so hot!"

"Do you think that they are still available?"

"I would _so_ go after them even if they weren't!"

Six months ago, Aomine would have been basking in the attention. But now, the tanned teen only has eyes for one girl, his girlfriend. And it is said girl that he is more concerned about than anything right now.

Aomine turned towards his childhood friend, having given up on trying to locate the already difficult to locate Tamaki in this insane crowd. "Satsuki, which way is the school auditorium?" he asked, looking in several directions at once like an arrow will just appear from out of nowhere, pointing him towards the correct direction.

"Huh?"

**XXXXXX**

The entire Seirin basketball team stared at the doors of the auditorium even as it swung closed behind the two that have just exited from it, ignoring the whispers and mutterings around them that have just broken out all over the auditorium like hissing fires.

"What was that all about?" Koganei finally asked, very confused. "Was that Aomine Daiki from Touou?"

The plays put on by the classes that chose to hold plays that year for the cultural festival were being held in turns by year level – with the third years first and the first years last. And coincidentally, the only first year class that had chosen to put on a play that year is only Tamaki and Kagami's class.

And now, the entire auditorium, with the Seirin basketball club especially, were particularly confused, wondering if they'd really just witnessed what they'd just seen.

Aomine Daiki of Touou had suddenly barged in the middle of the play when the prince is about to kiss Snow White. That had caused confusion and more drama than all the plays itself put together. A certain teal haired girl had then dragged a very embarrassed Aomine out of the auditorium before the president of the drama club could order some of the ushers to throw Aomine out of the school.

Aida Riko had a very devious and mischievous grin on her face. "I think I got an idea why…" she grinned.

**XXXXXX**

Tamaki made sure that the door to the rooftop was securely locked and bolted before turning around to face a very embarrassed Aomine Daiki.

"You mind explaining to me what that was all about?" she asked her boyfriend calmly. Aomine met Tamaki's eyes unsurely, slightly comforted by the fact that Tamaki doesn't seem to be angry in the least that he'd almost ruined her class's play.

"S-Sorry." Aomine sighed. "I just thought that…" He trailed off, blushing. How is he going to say that he'd wanted to stop the play because he'd foolishly assumed that Tamaki is going to play the princess, and by default, be kissed by the prince because he'd overheard Satsuki and Tamaki rehearsing her lines that day?

As perceptive and observant as ever, Tamaki guessed what is going on immediately, and she chuckled. "You thought that I'm playing the princess?" she guessed. And as Aomine looked away quickly from her eyes, she knew that she had hit the nail on the head. "How do you even know that my class is putting on a play? I didn't tell you, did I?"

"I…overheard you and Satsuki rehearsing your lines the other day when we'd gone to her house."

Tamaki looked confused for a moment before she remembered which day that Aomine was talking about. "Oh. So _that's_ what this is all about," she said. "I'm part of the wardrobe team." She explained. "The day before, I was meeting Satsuki to catch a movie, and it just so happens that the shop that we'd commissioned to make the princess's dress was near the cinema. We dropped by to check on the dress. As the girl playing the princess is around my size, I was merely checking to make sure that it is the right fit, and that it isn't too long or too short."

"Then… Those lines?" Aomine asked, still rather confused.

"The scriptwriter for our play was having problems with a scene in the play, and had asked for my help." Tamaki explained, and Aomine felt rather foolish upon realising that all this drama could have been avoided by merely asking Tamaki. "So that's what you're so stressed out about lately." She shook her head.

"Sorry." Aomine sighed.

"It's fine." Tamaki smiled. "There are still two hours left to the end of the festival. Walk around with me? I wouldn't be able to spend much time with you once the summer holidays begin. I have a training camp to attend." She sighed.

"Yeah. Me too." Aomine sighed. He smiled at Tamaki. "It'll be like Teiko all over again. Like the festival during our second year. I don't think that I've ever seen anything as funny as Murasakibara in a dress." He snickered at the memory.

Tamaki laughed, recalling the image of the tall and blank looking purple haired giant in a long purple dress as purple as his hair munching on some snack. "It _is_ kind of funny now that you think about it," she admitted, even as both their hands intertwined with each other, and they left the rooftop.

At the very least until the end of the festival, they do not have to be enemies from rival teams and schools, but just a normal high school couple enjoying their time together.

Because with the start of the Winter Cup means an all-out war against the Generation of Miracles, and the next time that they will meet will be on the court as enemies.

**XXXXXX**

"I'm tired…" Tamaki sighed as she walked down the streets towards her aunt's restaurant. She laughed to herself as she remembered what had happened during the festival. _'Didn't think that I'll ever see him get that jealous. I think that he is just one step away from punching Satoru-kun if I hadn't dragged him away.'_ She smiled, remembering the petrified look on the face of the boy playing the prince as a raging Aomine appeared from out of nowhere on the stage just as he is about to kiss the girl playing the princess.

Truthfully, Aomine didn't really have to be so worried even if Tamaki _is_ the girl playing the princess. The props team have positioned the props in such a way on the stage that it only _looks _like the prince and princess were kissing each other. They didn't actually _have_ to kiss each other for real.

"Next week will be the training camp, huh?" Tamaki mused. _'I wonder what Coach has in mind. Whenever both Coach and Captain are involved in the preparation and planning for our training camps, it __**never**__ bodes good news.'_ She groaned inwardly. _'But still… This tournament will be our last chance.'_

"_Cut it out already!"_

Tamaki stopped dead in her tracks, being broken from her own inner musings as an angry voice pierced through the silent night air, shattering the peaceful silence of the night. The streets were silent at this time of the night, and there were few people about. But whatever few bystanders there are had simply ignored the loud angry voice as no business of their own.

Tamaki meanwhile recognised that voice, and she frowned to herself.

'_That's…Aunt Yuki's voice…'_ Tamaki realised, suddenly concerned about her aunt. She followed the source of the angry voice towards the backdoor of the Rising Sun restaurant, and whatever good mood that the school cultural festival had placed her in instantly flew out of the window the moment that she saw and recognised the arguing couple.

The arguing couple were illuminated by the light coming out from the back door, hence enabling Tamaki to see them properly, despite the dim lighting at the alley of the backdoor of the restaurant.

One was unmistakably Kuroko Yuki who had her fiery red hair tied up in a bun, a dark blue apron worn over her clothes. The normally kind and gentle woman now had an angry look on her face, and she looked like a tigress about to pounce on its prey. As for the other person…

Tamaki's eye twitched as she recognised the other person immediately.

"Akashi Shinichi…" she growled low in her throat, recognising the man who had made her aunt and cousin's lives hell for nearly their entire lives until her aunt had decided to file for divorce.

Uh oh.

This isn't good.

Not good at all.

* * *

_A/N: I think I kind of lost touch with my literary skills. Must be due to the fact that I hadn't updated anything for over two months! I never had problems trying to make a chapter flow smoothly before, but I had some serious problems with this chapter. And is it just me, or is this chapter a tad bit awkward? Now, I realise that I probably did make Tamaki a little OOC in this chapter, so my sincerest apologies for that._

_Anyway, I hope that you like this chapter, and please read and review! Reviews give me inspiration to update!_


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